Borderlands: Hero of Pandora
by DragonSeer
Summary: When a decisive battle in the Vault of the Warrior establishes who is the Hero of Pandora, Handsome Jack is left with everything he's wanted—control, power, and the ability to create the paradise he's always desired. With the Warrior at his beck and call, nothing could possibly stand in the way of that goal…
1. Prologue

"Warrior!" Handsome Jack yelled. The biological weapon roared as it surged out of the lava toward the Vault Hunters, plasma wings spread wide. Its open cry of war was met with a cacophonous explosion of sound as weapons began discharging at the Eridian construct.

"Gaige! Get that bot of yours up and running!" Axton shouted over his shoulder as he activated the protocols that would digitize his turret.

"On it!" The Mechromancer swung her arm up and forward in a gesture of command, and the robot that had only won third place at her school's science fair manifested before her, letting out a blast of electricity at the Warrior. Salvador gave off a fearsome cry of bloodlust as he swung around two assault rifles and began unloading their clips into the monster before them.

From the central dais, Handsome Jack gritted his teeth. He was on his knees, blood pouring from open wounds, an impenetrable shield surrounding him maintained by the Vault Key controlling the Warrior. Beside him, the Siren Lilith lay, groaning softly, the collar around her throat still glowing, keeping her strength sapped.

This was it; the final, pinnacle moment. Either he proved himself as the Hero of Pandora here and now, or the bandits won and chaos consumed the planet.

It was a fight he wasn't going to lose.

"Warrior! Burn them!"

The creature's head pulled back, bifurcated jaws snapping open as fire streaked forth from its maw. Axton ducked behind one of the rock pillars, leaving his turret to continue irritating the monstrosity.

The psycho Krieg howled in protest from further up the dais, leaping up on top of one of the Eridian pillars to jump the distance toward the Warrior's head. He landed on its nose with a solid thump, causing the gout of flame to bob dangerously. On the ground level, Maya scrambled out of the way of the altered path of flame while the Warrior growled angrily at its new attachment and shook its head, trying to dislodge the psycho.

"Krieg! Watch the aim on that thing!" the Siren shouted up to her teammate.

"Can you phaselock it?!" Axton cried out to her.

"No!" she yelled back. "Thing's too big and it's fortified!"

"Then we fill it with bullets!" Salvador chimed in, laughing maniacally as he tossed aside his assault rifles and pulled out an SMG and a heavy pistol.

From the dais, Handsome Jack grinned in something that was more a bearing of teeth.

"Dive."

The Warrior hefted its whole bulk onto its back legs, prepping to lunge up and over into the lava on the other side of the room.

"Krieg!" Maya cried out. "Get off it! Now!"

"The sun consumes all the little birdies in this land!" he yowled back, swinging his axe repeatedly at the Warrior's eye.

"Krieg!" she screamed.

The Warrior snapped its head up sharply, dislodging the psycho and sending him into the air. A moment later, he came back down, and the Warrior neatly caught him, Krieg's snarl of pain more of rage then agony as its teeth barely punctured his body.

But that's when it leapt for the lava.

" _Krieg!_ " Maya's shriek echoed in the Vault, causing the rakk that circled in the air of the Vault to squawk to each other in alarm.

"Blanket the world in puppies!" he yelled back before the psycho and bioweapon both smashed into the molten lava.

"No…" The Siren's voice was barely a whimper as she watched the Warrior's tail vanish into the magma.

"Oh my god," Gaige whispered, eyes wide. Axton turned his face away, a scowl twisting his features.

From the dais, Handsome Jack smiled, no warmth in it.

"One down, kiddos. Five to go."

Maya spun on him.

"You _bastard_!" She lunged toward the shield, but was caught mid-leap by a black armored man. A heartbeat later, the Warrior's tail emerged from the lava and slammed into the ground where she would have been.

"Thanks, Zer0," she gasped even as tears clouded her vision.

"Focus on the fight/Don't let his death be in vain/This is our last stand."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know." She hopped out of his arms onto her feet only for both to have to dart apart as the Warrior exploded from the lava and slammed a clawed paw down where they had been standing.

"Come here, _senorita_!" Salvador called, tossing the Siren a rifle. Maya caught the gun and swung around, firing at the bioweapon. The Warrior roared and tipped its head, bodily charging toward her. She spat out a curse and dove to the side as the massive creature barreled across the dais.

"Light on your feet, _senorita_!" Salvador laughed beside her, tossing aside the heavy pistol and pulling out a shotgun.

"Barely light enough! Look out!" She dodged beneath the Warrior's tail as it snapped through the air toward them. Slower then the lithe Siren, Salvador took the hit straight to the chest and flew back several yards, landing with a loud thump, weapons scattering out of reach.

"Salvador!" Axton yelled as the Warrior turned toward the downed Gunzerker.

"Get him," Handsome Jack snarled.

Zer0 leapt onto the back of the bioweapon and slammed his sword into its neck, but the Warrior gave the Assassin no mind. It lunged toward the Vault Hunter, focused only on Salvador. A metallic screech of challenge echoed throughout the Vault as Deathtrap dove straight into the Warrior's face. The bioweapon snarled as it careened off to the side, a robot of lashing and sparking metal slicing into its nose. Zer0 leapt off the back of the Warrior onto a nearby pillar while Gaige raced out to the Gunzerker and helped pull him to his feet.

"C'mon, c'mon, get up, Sal!"

"Huff," the big man gasped as he fought to get breath back in his chest. "That _cabron_ hits like a truck." A groan escaped him as he stood.

Deathtrap let out a shrill scream as the Warrior twisted its head abruptly and snapped up the bot.

"DT!" Gaige cried out. Salvador caught her before she ran toward the beast. The bioweapon didn't take anywhere near such care with Deathtrap as it did with Krieg—it just chomped down on the bot, crushing it between its teeth. Deathtrap made a pained trilling sound before it cut off sharply.

"Oh, that's not good," Gaige whispered in horror as the Warrior turned on them, spitting out pieces of robot.

"Warrior!" Handsome Jack ordered. "Fetch!"

The Warrior bellowed a roar at both of them and coiled up, ready to pounce.

"Go, _Chiquita_ , go!" Salvador pointed toward Axton and the robotics expert raced toward the Commando out of the bioweapon's path as the Gunzerker picking up his shotgun and fired into its face to garner its complete attention. The Warrior snarled and obliged him—it lowered its head and charged straight for him. Salvador immediately turned and ran toward the other side of the dais, dodging around pillars, leading the Warrior on a merry chase, giving the other Vault Hunters a chance to shoot at it.

It was a haphazard plan at best, however—Salvador wasn't the spryest of the fighters in the Vault, and the Warrior had no compunction about knocking over the Eridian pillars that decorated the dais. The moment heavy stone monoliths began falling, the Vault Hunters had slightly more pressing matters to deal with than the rampaging bioweapon.

"Move!" Axton ordered, his voice carrying across the booming of ancient rocks hitting the ground. The hunters took his command to heart and focused on dodging out from under falling pillars, pausing only to take potshots at the Warrior when they could.

"Anyone want to tag in?" Salvador called, puffing as he dove behind a pillar to avoid a burst of fire.

"I got your back, Sal!" Gaige called, ducking out of her hiding place and unloading the clip of the Maliwan SMG she was using. The bullets sprayed out into the Warrior's path, some hitting it directly, others disobeying every law of physics by ricocheting off nearby stone and colliding with the bioweapon's hide. The Warrior roared in pain and turned on the Mechromancer.

"Oh boy."

The bioweapon half unfurled its wings, as if readying itself to pounce, but instead of lunging toward her, it raised one clawed paw and hit one of the remaining standing Eridian pillars, sweeping it off the ground. The column careened straight through the air toward Gaige. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Hax," she whimpered.

" _Gaige!_ " Axton shouted. He lunged over one of the fallen pillars and ran full tilt toward the Mechromancer, bodily knocking her out of the way. Gaige fell to the side with a yelp and managed to whip around long enough to see Axton get hit by the flying column.

"Axton!"

"Axton! No!" Maya cried. The pillar slammed into the Vault's wall so hard cracks spider webbed out from its impact point, a splatter of blood coloring the rock around it.

The Warrior gave no time for the Vault Hunters to grapple with the abrupt loss of the Commando—it took a quick look over the remaining hunters and singled out Maya. The Siren had emerged from her hiding place in the horror of Axton's loss, bringing her dangerously close to the bioweapon's tail. The Eridian weapon swung its tail to one side and then whipped it toward her. Zer0 noticed the motion and an exclamation point appeared over his faceplate.

"Maya!"

The Siren looked up sharply, saw what was coming, and immediately understood what it meant.

"Fuck."

Then the Warrior's tail hit her. There was the sickening sound of bones cracking and she screamed as she was thrown clear of the dais out toward the fields of lava.

" _Senorita_!" Salvador hollered as the Siren flew out of sight. The Warrior turned on them and growled, fire sparking around its teeth. The Pandoran man stared back at it.

"Oh my god," Gaige whispered, shock stealing the strength from her voice. She scrambled back to her feet and moved closer to the Gunzerker. "Sal… We just… Both of them…"

"And then there were three," Handsome Jack all but purred from the central dais.

Salvador shifted his grip on his weapons, tossing the shotgun he had been wielding aside.

"Zer0?"

The Assassin appeared next to him, close to Gaige.

"Take _Chiquita_ and get out of here."

"We need to fall back/There are other vantage points—"

"No," Salvador interrupted. "We're done, _amigo_. Get the girl out of here." He hefted up a rocket launcher to his shoulder. "I'll buy you time."

Gaige looked up at him in horror while Zer0 placed a hand to his chest, fist closed.

"You are a good man."

"Heh. Thanks, _cuate_. Now, do your disappearing trick. I'm about to make myself very popular."

"Sal, you can't!" Gaige protested.

"We don't have a choice, _Chiquita_. Go."

He didn't give her even a moment to try and sway him from his decision—he braced himself and fired the rocket launcher before lifting up a Vladof assault rifle in his other hand and unloading a clip. The rocket detonated over the Warrior's eye, causing it to roar angrily and charge toward the Gunzerker, straight into the hail of bullets. Zer0 didn't hesitate once Salvador pulled the trigger; he grabbed Gaige, tugged her close, and then she was gone and the Assassin was racing toward the bioweapon, sword at the ready.

The Warrior focused on Zer0 as he closed the distance between them. Fire flicking between its teeth, it snarled and snapped at the Assassin. Zer0 leapt aside and the Warrior followed him while Salvador fired another round of rockets. The bioweapon turned once more on Salvador after the rockets impacted, growling in fury, but Zer0 took the opportunity to get a slice in at the softer skin behind its jaw. The Warrior's attention immediately snapped back to him and it spat out a burst of fire while the Assassin nimbly jumped aside and cut into the bioweapon's nose. It roared angrily and bit down, catching Zer0 as he attempted to dodge away.

If the Warrior was intelligent enough to question the empty bite it ended up with after catching the Vault Hunter, it wasn't given long enough to focus on the fact as another round of rockets smashed into the side of its head. Its head whipped around to focus on Salvador once more and it roared. Salvador yelled back as he loaded another round of rockets and the bioweapon coiled up before lunging toward him. The Gunzerker fired, braced himself until he could feel flames licking across his skin, and pulled the pins on the grenades in his pocket.

Handsome Jack pushed himself up as the echoes of the explosion Salvador had set off died down and the Warrior bellowed in pain and rage. He stood, wobbling on his feet, and laughter rolled up within him. It was the sound of disbelief at first, but it quickly grew, passing from awe to triumph to something akin to maniac. The shield given off by the Vault Key dissipated as the Warrior sank back into the lava, and Handsome Jack's mirth caused Lilith to stir. The Siren groaned as she propped herself up, taking stock of the room and the carnage filling it. Handsome Jack stumbled to the nearby desk and opened one of the drawers, tugging out a Rejuvenate syringe and jamming it into his arm. It took a moment for the healing to take effect, and in that time he got control of himself, quieting his laughter.

"What… did you do?" Lilith demanded, gasping as she tried to sit up. One hand went to the collar still around her throat, yanking at it to try and remove it. He straightened as his wounds began to close and turned toward her.

"I executed a criminal," he began, ticking off on his fingers as he slowly approached her. "I crushed a rogue agent. I incinerated a psycho. I returned a Siren to the universe. I even deleted the null." He stopped before her, palm facing her, all five fingers extended. Then, he swung his arms wide, encompassing the room and all beyond it in a gesture.

"I fucking won, Lilith. _That_ is what I did."

"You're a monster!" she spat up at him. His face tightened and he aimed one of his wrist-mounted lasers at her head.

"No. I'm the goddamn hero."

Then he fired.


	2. Chapter 01

Lucille stared at herself in the mirror appraisingly. Red hair elegantly tied back, makeup lightly accenting her dark eyes, and a form fitting black cocktail dress bespoke highly of her intent to not come home tonight. It was her first date in two weeks, and she was not going to let the chance for some extra curricular activity pass her by.

A buzz at her door intruded on her musing. She frowned—having someone meet her at her door hadn't been part of the plan. She walked over to it and opened it up.

"Hi, Lucille!" Jeanie greeted. The red head blinked a few times.

"Hey, Jeanie. Did you decide to take me up on my offer to go bar hopping?" Lucille looked her coworker over. "Judging by the lab coat and sensible shoes, the answer is 'no.'"

Jeanie chuckled. "No, no. I'm not one for the bar scene, you know that. I don't really like going out."

"Jean, we live on a space station. There's not really a 'going out.'" Lucille gestured to the Hyperion logo on Helios' wall.

"Well, one of us might not be for long."

"What?" Lucille put a hand on her hip. In response, Jeanie offered her an envelope. The red headed woman looked it over. On the front was a written "Lucille, Elemental Mod Technician" in their boss' scrawl. She popped the envelope open, unfurled the letter within, and read its contents over.

Then she read it again.

"I've been _what_?!"

"Reassigned," Jeanie chirped proudly. "To Pandora proper. Opportunity, no less. Never thought that'd be even on the table for someone like one of us."

"But—what the hell for?!" Lucille demanded. The mod designer had been born on a space station and lived her entire life on one or another before being picked up by Hyperion. The idea of living on a planet with wide-open horizons was a little intimidating, if she was honest with herself.

"What for?" Jeanie repeated, intentionally omitting Lucille's vulgarity. Always the proper one, Jeanie was. "Lucille, _you_ were the one who cracked the cryo mod. You got the damn thing working on Elpis when no one else could."

"Yeah, and?"

Jeanie gestured to the letter. "Now they want you to do the same on Pandora. Getting that mod working on a planet is going to be a pain and a half, and who better to do it than the person who figured it out in the first place?"

"There's dozens of mod techs working in Hyperion's weapon development. Why me?"

Jeanie crossed her arms over her chest. "You're one of the best gun mod designers Hyperion has, and you know it."

Lucille let out a slow breath. "Yeah, I am. But Pandora? Isn't it a little… well, a _lot_ dangerous?"

"Oh, you've been living under a rock again, haven't you? It's all over, Luci. Handsome Jack has full control of Pandora. Opportunity's due to open its doors to the public to begin living there in the next few months."

"Yeah, with approval," Lucille replied, rolling her eyes. Jeanie tapped the letter in Lucille's hands.

"Approval you now have! Do you have any idea how jealous I am, Luci? If I wasn't your friend, I might kill you just to take your place."

Lucille smiled smugly. "Except you would never be able to deliver on the cryo mod."

Jeanie sighed forlornly. "No. I just don't have your gift."

"Hm." Lucille stared at the letter contemplatively for a long moment. "I guess I'd better start thinking about packing then."

"In a word: duh."

The red headed woman laughed. "I'll miss working with you, Jeanie. But, uh, one thing."

"What?"

"Stop reading my letters!"

/

/

Alexander tapped his Echo when he heard the cheery tune announcing he had an incoming call.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Good morning, Alex. Or is it evening there?"

Alexander glanced out the window. "I think it's technically midday, actually… 90 hour days are weird. They're going to take some getting used to." He turned to the next box and sliced it open, frowning as he looked over the contents.

"Oh! Here's where the dishes ended up!"

"Did you go with the pattern you chose?"

"Actually, when I went to pick up the set, I saw an even cuter design! They're shell white with an accent of this mosaic-style multi colored glass sweep on one edge. At the right time of day they catch the light and put rainbows all over the kitchen. I love it!"

His mother chuckled. "You always did have a way with color."

"It's not like I was going to let Gerty pick out the dishes. You know how she is. She'd make do with boring beige and never voice a complaint. She doesn't care one whit about fashion." He huffed. "That's why I pick out her clothes for her anymore."

"I thought she didn't want you doing that?"

"I think she gave up," Alexander laughed. "Now she gets up in the morning and points at her closet before going to take her shower. I take that as implicit permission to pick out her clothes for her, and she hasn't argued yet."

He could hear his mother shake her head across the line. "What would that woman do without you?"

"Wear grey and not care?" Alexander replied impishly. Both chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't wake you, dear. Speaking of your lovely wife, how is Gerty? How are the kids? How did they take the move?"

The blonde haired man smiled. "You know Gerty. She takes everything in stride. The kids… Well, it's going to take them some adjustment time. They're young enough that they didn't have many ties, but it's still a huge change."

"I'm worried about the poor dears," his mother cooed.

"They'll be fine, Mom. They're tougher than they look."

She laughed. "Don't I know it! Don't forget, I have babysat for them."

There was a warm moment of shared silence between mother and son, and then she asked, "Speaking of babysitting, what does your home life look like now that you're out there in Opportunity?"

"Gerty's new job comes with some amazing benefits, actually," Alexander replied. "We get a set amount of daycare hours every month to use as we will. She and I have talked a bit about it, and we're thinking I might go back to work for a while."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The kids are getting old enough now that they would survive if left alone for a couple hours, and Opportunity is fairly pricey—a little extra income might be nice."

His mother "hmed."

"Have you put any thought into what you might do? Perhaps learn a new skill?"

"Nah, I don't think I'll have enough time to devote to mastering something else. I'll probably just fall back on one of my old staples." He sighed a little even as he said it. If there was one thing Alexander detested, it was boredom-inducing repetition.

"Well, you may be interested to know I found something of yours while I was cleaning out the attic," his mother informed him. "It might give you some ideas."

"Oh? What did you find?"

"Your old gun designs you did when you took that weapon's technology class a few years back. I was going to toss them since you never did anything with them, but I figured I should check with you first. Do you want me to send them to you?"

Alexander set the last of the plates down and rubbed his chin in thought. He had never put that training to use, and if he remembered correctly, the local weapons research facility was looking for a few new techs to join the team.

"Yeah, Mom, why don't you send them to me? No use letting good ideas go to waste."

/

/

"Jimmy! Get in here!"

Jeffrey Blake, head of Mercenary Relations and Tourism (it was a long story), sighed once outside the door before he entered the president's office.

"Yes, sir? How may I be of assistance?"

The office was lavishly decorated and boasted more square footage than the average home in Opportunity. Across the way, Handsome Jack stood behind his desk, back toward the entrance, looking out over the city as it sparkled in the sunlight. Outside the city walls and across the ocean, the Warrior stalked through the Highlands, ever vigilant and awaiting its master's commands.

"Where do we stand on the Reclamation?" Handsome Jack didn't bother to turn from his view.

"70% complete, sir." Mister Blake calmly folded his hands behind his back. "Everything north and west of us has been wiped clean of all bandit influences. The cities and towns considered redeemable have already been brought into the fold and begun their duties to Hyperion."

"New Haven? Fyrestone? No surprises this time."

"Completely eradicated, sir."

"And Sanctuary?" At that Handsome Jack turned his head slightly, his attention focused.

"A burning wreckage, sir. The Warrior saw to that."

A long breath escaped Hyperion's president and he tipped his head back, allowing himself a triumphant smile.

"I've waited a long time to hear that. Jimmy, have the reconnaissance teams start expanding out to the east. It's about time we find out if there's anything resembling civilization in the wilds before we purify it with fire."

"Very good, sir."

/

/

Vincent wasn't happy.

Now, granted, he was rarely happy, but the weapon manufacturer had been taken out of his cushy office, thrown into a truck with a suspension that had worn out three centuries ago, he'd swear, and sent out into the hostile wastes of Pandora to find any place of civilization that looked even remotely like it might be occupied by non-incestuous, right-thinking people.

In short, he was on a mission that was a lost cause.

He had been travelling through Pandora for two weeks with a handful of individuals that on the best of days he might call bouncers. The glorious end to this nightmare mission was finally in sight—they had spotted one last town that they were going to check out before they began the trip back to Opportunity and something resembling a real society.

As the walls of the small town they were approaching grew on the horizon, Vincent tapped his Echo, checking the time.

"With any luck, we might be out o' here—Uff!"

His words were cut off as the driver abruptly hit the breaks of the truck and the vehicle screeched to a halt.

"Hey, buddy!" he protested loudly. "What th' hell?"

The answer came in the form of rapid coughs of gunfire as three bandit trucks careened across the sands toward the town, the men inside whooping and hollering delightedly.

"Oh, you've got ta be kiddin' me!" Vincent yelled over the cacophonous sound. "We're stuck on this shitty planet, out in this shitty desert, goin' to these shitty little towns, and now we have ta deal with these shitty bandits?" he demanded. "Juh-eez, a guy's work is never done. Boys! You know what ta do!"

The thugs with him quickly went for their weapons to start putting down this most recent bandit incursion, but a high pitched whir cut through the noise, causing them to hesitate. The odd sound stretched for a few heartbeats, and then like the roar of some great beast awoken from sleep, the sound of dozens if not hundreds of shots per second rang through the hot afternoon air.

Vincent's jaw dropped at hearing that sound.

"What th' hell?! Those bandits have _that_ kinda heavy weaponry?!"

"Boss! Look!" One of his subordinates pointed toward the gates of the town. A loan man had emerged from within the walls; he was dressed in a long, dusty leather coat and a Stetson hat and looked like the quintessential dime store novel sheriff. Where he deviated was the huge two-handed minigun in his hands that was belching ammunition at a terrifying rate of fire. The bullets chewed through one of the bandit trucks, then the second, sending both streaking off to explode into balls of fire, smoke, and shrapnel. The third, however, swung close enough that two of the bandits jumped out to face off against the sheriff. The man in his wide brimmed hat simply fired at one, but the other raced toward him, swinging an axe. At the last moment, the sheriff let off the trigger, stepped aside, and swung the minigun up, catching the bandit in the gut with the gun barrel. He grunted once in an exertion of effort and tossed the bandit onto his back, the muzzle resting directly against the bandit's chest. The bandit had just a moment to whimper before the sheriff pulled the trigger.

The last of the bandit vehicles quickly streaked away, but one well-aimed mortar from the back of Vincent's truck took care of it. Vincent saw the wide brimmed hat turn toward them.

"Uh, boss? You may want to close your mouth," one of his subordinates offered helpfully. "You'll catch bugs."

Vincent belatedly realized his jaw had been hanging wide open. He closed it with a snap and cleared his throat.

"Well, gentlemen, let's go meet our little town's representative."

The sheriff—and once they got close enough, Vincent saw he actually was wearing an honest to God sheriff's badge on his jacket—watched the truck cautiously as it approached, the minigun still resting in his hands easily, but its barrel pointed toward the ground. As the truck pulled up a few yards from him, Vincent leapt out of the car and closed the distance at an easy pace, making sure his approach was nonthreatening. He found himself looking at an older, grizzled man, grey sneaking into his black hair, a 5 o'clock shadow across his chin, and a nasty scar that went over the left side of his face, rendering the eye on that side a pale white.

"Ah, good afternoon to ya, Sheriff," Vincent greeted pleasantly. "And who might ya be?"

The sheriff stared at him evenly for a long moment before answering.

"Lawson." The voice matched the look—gruff and deep.

"Well, it is so nice ta meet ya, Sheriff Lawson. I'm Vincent, representative o' Hyperion, come out ta find any o' these little towns and bring 'em into its protection. Might ya be the one in charge here?"

Sheriff Lawson wasn't quite sure what to make of the pipsqueak before him. Hyperion's representative was a spindly man in a grey suit, a pencil mustache beneath his nose, and everything about the man screamed "slimy." However, Lawson recognized the name Hyperion. They had all known it was just a matter of time before this sort of thing happened.

Lawson grunted once. "You'll want the mayor. Follow me."

Without saying anything further, the sheriff turned on his heel and began the walk back into town, hefting the minigun up onto his shoulder. Vincent couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Excuse me, good sir," he finally started, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, "but that particular weapon. I've not see quite th' like o' it in such a compact, portable, and yet so deadly efficient size. I'd love ta know exactly how ya came ta be in the possession o' one so that I might, uh, procure one."

Lawson stopped and looked back at the man flatly for a minute. Vincent crinkled his nose.

"Look, buddy, I really, really want one. Actually, I want something more like six, but I can tell from th' way you heft that thing that it probably ain't for sale. So I'd like ta know where you got it so I can get my hands on one."

The sheriff stared at him for a long moment more and then let out a breath.

"You want to meet the person who made it?"

"You have someone _here_ who made that gorgeous piece of machinery? In a word: _Igottahaveit_!"

Lawson snorted, but turned and began walking down a different road. Vincent scrambled after him, studying the town around them. It was in slightly better condition than the prior towns he had been in, and he could see a lot of Dahl architecture in the buildings and fortifications. If the sheriff hadn't already established himself as a man of few words, Vincent might have asked after the origins of the town, but the moment Lawson stopped in front of a small house, he ceased caring. The sheriff didn't pause at the door—he just walked in, went to the back of the house, and knocked heavily on a door that clearly led to a basement. There was a minute of silence, and then footsteps on stairs and the door opened.

"What do you want, Dad?" a young woman demanded as she walked into the room. A pair of goggles rested on top of her pulled back green hair, and while she wore a long sleeved shirt and slacks that brushed the top of her feet, Vincent could still see enough curvature that it was clear she had a shape hidden under there somewhere.

"I've got three guns running through simulations and two stress testing—" she continued, only to be interrupted by a muffled explosion from the basement below. A cross expression settled on her face.

"Oh, please don't let that be the D-89. I know that one was a hinkey design, but I really, really want it to work…"

"Nadie," Lawson cut in. "This man wanted to meet you." He nodded at Vincent. The young woman blinked and focused on Vincent as if noticing him for the first time.

"Oh, hello. I'm Nadalie Tirrell, or Nadie if you're so inclined."

"Vincent," he replied, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "And I've got ta ask. _You_ made that beast?" He gestured toward the minigun that Lawson was placing back on its display mount.

"Old Betsy? Yeah."

"Seriously? You made that? Here? In a basement? With scraps?"

Nadie looked around unsurely, not quite decided on whether she should be flattered or insulted.

"Yes. Why? Is that a problem?"

"Oh, not even a bit, little lady." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his card, which he handed to her. "How would you like ta make guns in a real lab with a nearly limitless budget?"

Nadie studied the card in her hands (which bore Vincent's name in an elegant scrawl), and then glanced at her father before looking back at him.

"Seriously," he answered her unspoken question. "I work for Hyperion's weapon development department. If you can make _that_ ," he gestured to the minigun, "out o' _this_ ," and he swung his hands wide to encompass the town, "then we _definitely_ want you ta come work fer us. Now, I know, I know, you'll probably want ta talk it over with yer dad. It would be quite th' move. I have ta go speak ta yer town's mayor anyway, so you got some time to consider it. You just let me know when yer ready ta go." He tapped his Echo, gave her a brilliant smile, and took his leave to let her mull over her future.

/

/

Once they were a bit out of town, Vincent held up a hand.

"Hold up, hold up!"

The truck came to a rattling halt and the driver looked up at Vincent.

"What are we stopping for, boss?"

"Someone's gonna need a ride. We'll be gettin' a call shortly."

"You mean that little gun maker?"

"I want that girl working under me, and you can take that in every possible meanin'," he replied with a low, salacious chuckle. The driver rolled his eyes.

"Boss, there is no way—"

"Ah, ah!" Vincent interrupted, holding up a finger as a soft chime came from his Echo. "Look who it is." He tapped a button to accept the call. "Ms. Tirrell, what a pleasure!"


	3. Chapter 02

Every step she took was a cautious move, a gamble on if she was going to make a sound, whether it was because she'd disturb some piece of debris or because she'd stub her toe on some unseen bit of rebar hidden in the darkness. She had succeeded at making it all the way out of her room, up the stairs, and now had only to cross the planning room to escape the hideout and enact her grand plan of vengeance.

"And where do you think you're going, little girl?" a deep voice suddenly rumbled.

Tiny Tina froze as the lights in the room flicked on. She blinked a time or two, readjusting her eyes to the brightness, and found herself looking up at seven feet of muscle and irritation.

"Big Bro!" she greeted Brick innocently. Brick frowned, the wounds on his face distorting the expression oddly. The battle for Sanctuary had been hard on the Berserker—he had injuries that would never fully heal, several of them from the Warrior itself. The fierceness of the battle for their home had broken Brick's body so badly that he would never fight on the front lines again, and his temper didn't look to ever recover from the loss of that freedom.

"Don't give me that, Tina," he growled. "You were going to go out. It's obvious." He gestured to the explosives expert. In the weeks following Sanctuary's fall, the girl had slowly adopted a clothing style very reminiscent to Roland's—from the same cap to the scarf about her throat to the pauldron strapped to her left shoulder. The continuous losses had started to eat into her already tremulous grip on sanity.

"You can't stop me, Brick!" she burst out, stomping her foot. "It's just not fair! That psychopath is still out there and we're here in the dark, hiding like spiderants!"

"Hiding is all we can do right now," Brick hissed, just having to say the words cutting into him. "We don't have the forces to try and fight back."

"If Mordi and Lilith were here—" she protested, but cut herself off sharply when Brick took a heavy step forward.

"Don't you _dare_ ," he snarled. Tina gasped and puffed her cheeks up defiantly for a moment before tears began to fall from her eyes silently. Brick saw them and immediately softened, forcing a long breath from his lungs.

"I'm sorry, Tina. You know this ain't hard on just you. You're right. That murdering asshole is out there and we're stuck hiding like _we're_ the criminals. It ain't right. But it's what we got to do. For now."

Tina dropped her head and nodded miserably.

"We need a miracle, don't we, Brick?"

Before he could answer, the blast doors leading into the hideout were yanked open. Both of their attentions snapped up the way and Brick clenched his fists while Tina dug out a handcrafted, malformed grenade from the bag slung over her shoulder.

"Tina, you get ready to wake the rest if necessary," Brick instructed.

Tina nodded. "You got it."

Sunlight poured down the stairs and one loan figured appeared in the doorway, wheezing softly. Slowly, the silhouette limped down the way toward the two, each step accompanied by a small whimper of pain.

It was only when the individual finally managed to get to the last step and into the pallid light of the hideout that the two recognized their visitor.

"Maya?!" Tina squeaked in shock. The Siren blinked painfully at them—horrible burns covered her body, and part of her hair was gone, the skin over her scalp a mess of oozing wounds and burns. Something resembling a relieved smile curled her lips when she saw the big man.

"Brick!" she gasped before collapsing. Brick quickly lumbered toward the Siren.

"Tina! Go get Tanis! She's in bad shape!"

"On it!"

/

/

"Rueben, Rueben, Rueben," Vincent purred as his subordinate came into the room. Rueben stopped dead upon walking into his office when he spotted his boss perched on the edge of his desk. He struggled to keep the disgust off his face.

"Boss. I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"Yeah, I bet you weren't." Vincent reached back and picked up a pair of manila envelopes from the desk before waggling them at Rueben.

"I see you brought some new talent on board."

"You know the boss wants—"

"Yeah, yeah." Vincent hopped onto his feet. "Don't get yer panties in a twist, Rueben. I just stopped by ta tell you I hired you one more fer yer team." He slapped a dossier into Rueben's hands.

"But I only wanted—"

"I'm sorry, Rueben, were you speakin' instead o' readin' that dossier? Cause that'd be such a shame. I went ta such work ta find this one." Vincent walked to the large window that overlooked the lab. He could see three people introducing themselves to one another below—a redheaded woman, a well-dressed blonde haired man, and his handpicked, green haired gunsmith. He heard Rueben groan as he read the dossier.

"A Pandoran girl? Really, boss? They're nothing but trouble!"

Whatever Vincent might have said in retaliation was cut off as the door to the office opened and an older gentleman dressed in a sharply cut dark grey suit with orange pin stripping entered.

"Mister Blake!" both men exclaimed in surprise. Rueben immediately jumped to something akin to attention, but Vincent simply turned to face the newcomer, hands in his pockets.

"Ta what do we owe th' pleasure o' a visit from th' head of Mercenary Relations and Tourism?" Vincent inquired idly, wondering what the higher-ranking Hyperion agent wanted with his division.

Mister Blake adjuster his tie.

"Actually, with the changes over the last few months, I no longer hold that particular position." He stepped up to Rueben and plucked the dossier out of his hands before picking up the other two from the desk. "I have, in fact, been promoted to personal assistant to Handsome Jack himself, which means his interests are now my interests. And he is _very_ interested in seeing cryo come to Pandora."

"Oh, we know. And I made sure we got th' mod tech that cracked it on Elpis," Vincent assure him.

"So I see," Mister Blake stated calmly, looking over the three files. Rueben, who had been the one to do the research, find the tech, and fill out the transfer forms, shot an angry look at Vincent that the taller man ignored.

"I also found a bona fide genius gunsmith out in this little dump of a town," Vincent continued. "You would not believe what this girl can do with scraps."

"Mm-hm," Mister Blake replied, his tone uninterested. "I do seem to remember this project only being green lit for two technicians."

Vincent waved a soothing hand. "Don't worry about it. We'll just take it out o' Rueben here's paycheck."

Rueben made a strangled noise and gave Vincent the darkest of glares. Vincent just looked back at him.

"What? Yer divorced now. You don't need the same sized paycheck. We were overpaying you anyway."

"Then it's settled." Mister Blake snapped the dossiers shut and tucked them under his arm. Rueben's head whipped around at lightning speed.

"Wait. What? You're going to go with this plan?!"

"Frankly, Mr. Philmore, the responsibility of this project rests with Vincent. If he deems it necessary to have three technicians, and he's willing to make the sacrifices for them, then that is his call. I don't particularly care." Mister Blake opened the door, but paused before stepping through it. "And he's right—we are overpaying you."

Then he was gone, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh, don't look so glum, Rueben," Vincent soothed insincerely. "After all, you've got a crack team ta make this work. I'm sure it will take them no time at all! I have faith in you." The taller man gave him a brilliant smile while Rueben just ground his teeth, unable to do anything about it.

/

/

"Closing time," Lucille began singing as she started rolling up the draft paper she had been designing on for the last two hours. "One last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer…"

"Closing time," Alexander picked up as he shut down the testing programs on his laptop. "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here…"

There was a long pause, and then both Hyperion employees looked at their third. Nadie glanced up.

"Oh, don't look at me. I'm not singing."

"Nadie, you're no fun!" Lucille whined. Nadie shot her a half smile.

"I don't have anyone I want to take me home anyway."

"Girl, don't we know it," Alexander sighed. He closed the laptop and walked around the table to confront the gunsmith, one hand on his hip.

Alexander was what one might describe as "metro." He was always elegantly dressed, clothed in the latest fashion, with his hair slicked back. He kept himself in decent shape, though he was no model, and his demeanor was bright and pleasant, if occasionally overly affectionate.

He stared at Nadie intently, willing her to fess up to her single status like it was some great sin.

"You won't go out with us to the bars, you don't ever relax," he continued.

"You have no life other than this lab," Lucille added. Red headed and as fiery as they came, Lucille had a new boytoy every month and believed that Nadie was wasting her potential and her assets on a life of constant work and no play.

"Hey, I have a life," the gunsmith protested. "I work, I go home, I relax, I occasionally talk to my dad."

"And how do you relax, Nadie?" Lucille crossed her arms over her chest. Nadie flinched over her own designs and didn't look up as she answered.

"I design guns."

"Mm-hm. You design guns to relax. And tell me, Nadie." Lucille tapped a finger to the corner of her lips. "What do you do for your job?"

"Design guns…" Nadie answered slowly, knowing she was only setting herself up for harassment.

Alexander and Lucille exchanged a look before both turned slowly and stared flatly at their coworker.

Nadalie Tirrell was, in theory, their colleague, for they all worked in the same lab for the same manager for Hyperion, but there was no doubt that she was meant for more. She was a whiz when it came to designs, a wizard at putting them together, and with her exotic emerald colored hair and full hourglass frame, there was no arguing she was also quite the woman.

However, to her coworkers' dismay, Nadie's typical day was to come into work at 7 am, work all day, go home at 7 pm, continue working over dinner, and then go to bed. Alone.

"Nadie." Lucille's voice was stern. "Come drinking with us tonight. No. No. You don't get a choice. You're coming with us. We _finally_ cracked the cryo mod. It's a night for celebration!"

"We may have gotten the mod working in the tests, but we still haven't gotten it fully functional when equipped to a firearm," Nadie replied. "We aren't out of the desert yet."

"We're on our way!" Alexander protested. "This is a big step! We're going drinking!"

"You three aren't going anywhere," a new voice grumbled. All three looked up to see their manager, Rueben Philmore, waddle in. Five two, overweight, and balding, their boss was strict to the rules and to the work he expected of them.

"You're on shift for twenty more minutes. That's twenty more minutes to figure out what's going wrong."

"Yes, Mr. Philmore," all three piped up simultaneously. He harrumphed and headed toward the lab's exit, giving Nadie a suspicious look on the way out. The young gunsmith restrained a sigh. Rueben didn't trust her. Or, more accurately, he was jealous and threatened by her. She was better at his job than him in every way—in handling the finances, assigning jobs, churning out profitable designs, and even in keeping worker satisfaction up. Over the last year, a sort of uneasy peace had settled between them. Nadie had made it very clear that her only love was gun design and construction and she did not want his job or his paycheck.

Which wasn't entirely accurate. She would have loved his job and his salary. What she didn't want was the joys that came with the Hyperion managerial ladder—9 times out of 10, you advanced in rank by murdering the person ahead of you. It wasn't just expected in Hyperion—it was pretty much encouraged. So while Nadie would have happily taken on the greater responsibility, she didn't want to have to deal with the assassination attempts.

Or having to plan how she was going to do away with the person ahead of her. It just seemed like such a chore.

So Rueben paid her as well as someone her level could be, and she kept producing profitable designs. It was an equitable enough exchange.

Once the door swung shut, Lucille and Alexander turned back to Nadie.

"I'm definitely with Luci on this one," Alexander stated firmly. "You're coming drinking with us tonight. No ifs, ands, or buts. Gertrude is visiting her family next week and leaving me with the kids, which means I get no 'me' time next week, and that is very distressing. So you're coming out with us tonight."

"I don't see how that's my problem…" Nadie groaned, recognizing this was quickly becoming a fight that wasn't worth the cost to win. "Fine. But I refuse to enjoy myself."

/

/

It was a bar. Not a nightclub or some high-class establishment—just a regular, run of the mill bar.

Which had really good food, Nadie had to admit. Everything that came off that grill was heavenly. Which is the only reason Nadie had allowed herself the third drink. It was just her way of thanking the staff. Honestly.

"See? See?" Lucille dropped down onto one of the barstools next to her. "You're actually having fun!"

"M'not," Nadie replied, mouth full. She finished chewing and then took a swallow from her pint glass. "I'm just relaxing. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes, it is." Lucille leaned back and sipped from her martini glass, surveying the crowd. "Now, if we could just find you a guy to take home. Or a girl. I'm not even picky anymore."

"It'd be a guy if anyone," the gunsmith said, the alcohol loosening her tongue. "But it's not like I could just go up to any guy and be like, 'hey, handsome.'"

"Why not?" her coworker demanded. "You could just walk up to any of these guys and take one of them home."

"Psh." Nadie waved a dismissive hand. "I would not. There is no reason any of them would be interested in me."

Lucille let out a snort. "Have you _looked_ at yourself in a mirror? With that ass and those tits, you could probably take home the entire bar if you wanted."

"I think you're over exaggerating, Luci. Ok, so yeah, I've had guys hit on me before, but there is no way I could just get whatever one I walked up to. Hell, I'd be lucky if a conversation lasted over five minutes."

"Oh really? Care to make a bet of it?" the red head challenged.

"A bet?" Alexander suddenly piped up from Nadie's other side where he had just come back to the bar to get his drink refilled. "Nadie never takes bets."

On a normal day, Nadie would have agreed with Alexander and hesitated before getting involved with any gambling against Lucille. On a normal day, she'd play it cautious and not let her coworker rile her up. On a normal day, she wouldn't dare take the risk that Lucille was right.

But tonight, full of meat and booze, the word "bet" ignited her competitive ambition.

"A bet, huh? What are your thoughts?"

Lucille smiled triumphantly.

"I pick three guys in the bar, any three I want. You have to ask them for their phone number. If even one of them won't give it to you, Alex and I will leave you alone for a full year and stop bugging you about going out and socializing."

"A full year?" Nadie repeated, intrigued.

"A full year!?" Alexander yelped in protest. Lucille leaned back and patted the bar behind Nadie soothingly, the gesture directed at Alexander, before looking once more at the gunsmith.

" _But_ ," she stressed, "if all three _do_ give you their numbers, Alexander gets to pick something social you have to do."

"Wait. What?"

"Oh! Oh! I already have an idea!" Alexander squealed happily.

"Do I get to know what it is?" Nadie asked worriedly. Alexander opened his mouth to answer, but Lucille interrupted.

"What's this, Nadie? You getting nervous? Think there's a chance I'm right? Are you going to back out now, just cause you'll have to do something that requires social interaction? I mean, I'd understand. You have no life, and you're terrified of having one."

"Fine, Luci, fine," the emerald haired woman growled. "You're on."

The smile on Lucille's face could only be described as demonic.

"A few ground rules, then."

"Oh, come on!"

"One, you actually have to talk to the guy. No just walking straight up, asking for their number, and calling it a night. Two, no talking about guns."

"Lucille!" Nadie cried, shocked. Lucille held up a finger sternly.

"No. No gun talk. You'll bore or scare them half to death. That's cheating."

"Mngh. I've already agreed to this bet. Fine. No gun talk."

"Excellent. We'll start… with him right there."

"Oh boy."


	4. Chapter 03

(Author's Note: For those of you still reading, thanks!)

/

/

Nadie growled softly over her drink, cursing Lucille, the bar, the alcohol, and herself quite roundly. She was two for two so far. Two men, two numbers. She was currently… well, enjoying wasn't the right word, but appreciating a few moments of peace with her beer and no forced socialization.

"Aw, Nadie, such a grumpy face," Lucille cooed insincerely. Nadie glanced up to see her red headed coworker walking over to her, a brown haired gentleman on her arm.

"Don't give me that crap, Lucille," Nadie grumbled irritably. "You know I hate this."

"Hate this?" Lucille repeated incredulously. "Because you're losing? Because you can walk up to any guy and get his number? Yeah, gosh, that's a shame. A real burden to bear." She snapped her fingers in mock disappointment.

"Lucille…" the gunsmith all but snarled.

The gentleman on Lucille's arm looked between them.

"This the coworker you were talking to me about?"

"Yeah."

He held his hand out to the emerald haired woman.

"Hi! My name's Harolt."

"Nice to meet you, Harolt. I'm Nadie."

"Lucille tells me that the three of you work in the weapon research and development branch of Hyperion."

"Yes, but I have to warn you," Nadie informed him, "that I am not allowed to talk about guns with men. It's part of the rules." She shot Lucille a dark look. The red head just smiled innocently.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Harolt replied. "I'm also sort of sorry for this." He handed her a slip of paper. She took it curiously and glanced at it. The moment she realized what it was, she frowned.

"You can't just hand me your number," she protested. He glanced at Lucille.

"I can't?" he queried. A thoughtful expression settled on her face and she rubbed her chin.

"I'll allow it," she finally answered, nodding surely. Harolt grinned triumphantly while Nadie sputtered.

"What?! That wasn't part of the rules. I didn't even ask him for his number."

"Nope, it's good. I'll allow it." Lucille gave her coworker a shit-eating grin. "I do get to make the rules. It is my bet."

"Lucille."

"Yes, Nadie?"

"I hate you."

"I know."

/

/

"Oh, Nadie, don't be mad that you lost," Lucille stated from behind the annoyed gunsmith as the trio walked toward their respective homes.

"This will be fun, this will be fun," Alexander chanted happily from behind the two of them. He had been saying the same thing since he left the bar.

Nadie led the way in an irritated stalk, three phone numbers tucked into her back pocket.

"You cheated," the gunsmith snapped.

"It wouldn't have made any difference, and you know it!" Lucille retorted. "You could have asked ten guys in that bar for their number and you would have gotten every single one of them. I told you that you had it. Why you're so pissed off about that fact, I don't get. Pick a guy. Seduce him. Have your way with him. Geeze, woman, use what your momma gave you!" Lucille paused and then muttered, "You certainly need it."

A low growl was her only answer, and the trio continued walking in silence for a moment.

"All right, so it wasn't fair to the bet, fine. But Harolt really did do that all on his own. I legitimately did not give him the idea, nor ask him to do it."

"He's a jerk," Nadie grumbled.

"He is, but he's a cute jerk."

Nadie just snorted. "I think his action invalidates the bet."

"You want to go that route, Nadie? Want to do a rematch? Think you'd do any better in a different bar with different people? Because if you really want to start fresh, we can. It'd be the same conclusion, though."

The gunsmith sighed irritably. Even if Lucille wasn't right, to do a rematch would only expose her to more forced socialization. It was better to just accept the loss, do her one last social engagement, and then get back to her comfortable routine.

"Alexander?"

"This will be— uh…" His chanting cut off as he realized he was in the crosshairs. "Yes?"

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Alexander hesitated, thinking over how he wanted to answer. There was a safe answer, and there were a thousand answers that would get him in trouble.

But life wasn't fun without some risk.

"You'll see Friday night after work!"

"Alexander!" Nadie snapped.

"Oh, look at that! There's my street! Bye, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Without giving either woman a chance to say something else, he booked it away from them down a connecting street.

"Coward!" Lucille yelled.

"Love, love!" came the return call.

"I'm going to kill him," Nadie sighed. "I already know I'm going to hate this."

/

/

"How'd it go, Harolt?" Azrae asked as she continued piecing together an explosive. Harolt slid the inner door to their sanctum shut.

"Pretty good, actually," he replied. He walked over to her and peered over her shoulder. "What are you working on?"

"A short range EMP. We'll need it eventually." She frowned. "Actually, we'll need more than one. But I have some time to make them. How about you? Any luck?"

"I might have found an in."

Azrae looked up at that as Harolt took a seat across from her.

"Oh?"

"I mighta hooked up with a pretty girl working in Hyperion's R&D department."

"Really? Those boyish charms of yours came in handy again. What's she like?" Azrae asked as she returned to her work.

"Smart. Beautiful red hair. Genius with gun mods. Her two coworkers are also stupid smart, if a bit eclectic. They're all worth way more than their making. I think I might be able to swing 'em our way."

"Good." Azrae clipped a wire and wound it around another. "We're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to bring Hyperion and Handsome Jack down. But remember, Harolt. Take it slow with this one. We don't want a repeat of the last time we tried to get someone to join us."

"I know, I know. I'll be careful."

/

/

"So let me get this straight," Sheriff Lawson stated. "You made a bet with your coworkers."

"Yeah." Nadie threw herself onto her couch, readjusting the Echo in her ear as her father's voice rumbled through it.

"And you lost."

"Effectively. Lucille actually sort of cheated, but I don't think it'd go any better for me if we started fresh. I should know better than to bet with her."

"So now you have to submit to whatever plans your coworkers have."

"It seems that way." She took a sip of her glass of water, letting the silence build. She was hoping that her father had some suggestion on how she could get out of her predicament.

"You said you were going out on Friday evening?"

"Yup."

"Hm."

That silence settled back in. Not one for talking, her father. The two spoke about once a week, though the duration and date of the call varied greatly from week to week, and each talk generally lasted all of about ten minutes before one or the other inevitably cited needing to get back to work before hanging up.

"Well, Nadie, it sounds like you have your evening planned. Have fun, tell me how it went. Love you. I have to get back to work."

Then, the Echo line went dead. Nadie sighed deeply and pulled it out of her ear.

"Gee, thanks, Dad. Always there to help when I need it. I guess I'm stuck."

/

/

"Seriously, Alexander."

In another tone, at a different time, it might have been a question, but the way Nadie said it, the words were some amalgamation of condemnation and sheer confusion.

"What's wrong, Nadie?"

"Seriously? The Handsome Jack Hour? Really? That's the social thing you're making me do?"

"Oh, don't be such a party pooper!" he pouted. "I do this every Friday night! It's a blast!"

"Honestly? You spend a grand on this? For one hour?"

"Think about it this way, Nadie… It's like making a new friend who also happens to be the president of a multimillion dollar company."

"Or," the gunsmith retorted, "it's like spending $1,000 to hang out with an actor _pretending_ to be—"

"Lah, lah, lah, lah, lah!" Alexander interrupted quickly, plugging his ears with his fingers. "I can't hear you!"

Nadie laughed. "Ok, ok. You win. I'll let you live in your little fantasy world. But don't expect me to like this."

"You might be surprised," he told her. "The president is quite charismatic."

"Mm. Let's just get this over with."

The gun designer excitedly led her into the reception area where an almost matronly woman with dirty blonde hair and a welcoming smile greeted them.

"Evening, Lexi!" she hailed them with a broad smile.

"Lexi?" Nadie questioned, glancing at her coworker with a crooked eyebrow and an amused smile. He shushed her quietly.

"Hiya, Leanne! I brought a friend along with me."

"I see that," she replied with a chuckle. "Welcome, welcome. Come on up, we have some simple paperwork for you to fill out since it's your first time here."

"Paperwork?" The gunsmith looked to her companion. Alexander shrugged a shoulder.

"They want to make sure it's a memorable time, and that means knowing a bit about you. The questions just ask for some basic information, nothing soul-searching. You don't have to worry about bringing much to the conversation."

"He'll do that all on his own," Leanne added with a laugh, gesturing toward the back rooms with her head.

"Oh, will he," Alexander all but cooed. Nadie shook her head almost disbelievingly at the blonde haired man's behavior. She had known Alexander thought highly of Hyperion's president, but she hadn't quite realized the depths of his fandom.

"Alexander?" she questioned, a niggling suspicion poking her. He brought over a datapad with the form uploaded to it that needed to be filled out.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have posters of Handsome Jack all over your house?"

"Oh, psh, no," he responded, laughing, though Nadie noticed the assuagement came rather hurriedly. "Gerty would never let me get away with that."

"Otherwise you might?" She grinned.

"No…" Alexander replied, looking back and forth nervously. "Here. Fill this out and prepare for the best night of your life."

"I highly doubt that," the gunsmith muttered as she looked over the form. It was all pretty basic… Name, interests, job…

"Uh. Alexander? Really?" She pointed at one of the optional checkboxes.

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"You can actually ask to have… Uh, be intimate… Um."

"It's like a little piece of heaven," he purred happily. Nadie's brows crept up toward her hairline as she stared at Alexander.

"What? You can check that box. I absolutely won't hold it against you. In fact, I encourage you to check it."

"Uh, no, thanks, Alexander. Not this time."

"Your loss." He shrugged. She stared at him a moment more before sighing and going back to the datapad to finish filling out the form. Once it was completed, she gave it back to Leanne.

"Here you go."

"Don't worry, sweetie, I've seen my share of unsure guests come in and leave believers," Leanne told her encouragingly. "Just you wait. The president has an effect on people."

"I'll take your word for it."

"No, no," she laughed. "Take _his_ word for it. Room 6." She handed Nadie a key. Nadie looked at her coworker to see Alexander was swinging his own key on a finger.

"I'll see you in an hour! You'll love it! I promise."

The green haired gunsmith took a slow breath, fighting the pit in her stomach, and headed toward whatever fate would throw at her.

/

/

The room was nice, she had to admit. It wasn't very large; just a little sitting room with two seats facing each other, a table between them with a bottle of wine and two glasses, and a few paintings of modest, neutral scenery.

In other words, nothing to distract from the man himself.

Or, rather, Nadie corrected herself, from the actor pretending to be Handsome Jack.

She didn't have to wait long before the door leading to the back opened up and a man walked into the room.

"Heya, sweet cheeks, you're new," he greeted, giving her a slightly flirtatious smile. He caught a good look at her and paused just inside the door, a brow crooking up in surprise.

Nadie had to acknowledge one thing—if this actor was doing even half a decent job at replicating Hyperion's president, then Handsome Jack was a good-looking man. He wasn't quite what she would imagine to be her type—even with the mask over his face, his features were sharp and angular, and his expression seemed to always be slightly haughty. A streak of white crept into his brown hair over the right temple, giving him an aura of gravitas that clashed oddly with the arrogance he gave off, but it was his eyes that stole her breath—one blue of a shade reminiscent to her father's, but the other a piercing green.

She belatedly realized a moment of awkward silence had stretched between them longer than it should have. Swinging an inviting hand toward the other chair, she gave him a lopsided smile.

"Come on in. It's your place, after all."

He made his way to the unoccupied chair across from her and settled down in it, putting his feet up on the small table. He nodded to the bottle of wine.

"You're more than welcome to crack that if you'd like, babe."

Nadie shook her head. "I'm not much of a drinker. Thanks though, Jack."

"Let me stop you right there, sweetie," he interrupted, dropping his feet off the table to reach for the wine bottle. "The name is _Handsome_ Jack. Don't forget that."

"Oh really?" she questioned, her tone somewhere between amused and surprised. "That title means the world, does it? Even here, behind closed doors, the formality has to be maintained?"

"It's not about the formality, babe," he replied, popping the cork on the wine bottle and pouring himself a glass. "It has everything to do with the respect. The prestige." He glanced up at her in consideration as he filled the glass closer to her. "But I suppose a woman as beautiful as you can get away with calling me just Jack. It'll be our little secret." He winked.

Nadie couldn't help herself—she laughed at his tone of confidentiality.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

He gave her a crooked smile. "Not all of them... Some of them can't even get passed the 'Handsome' part. What can I say? Not every girl can handle how damn awesome I am."

She shook her head, trying to hide her chuckles.

"Well, thank you so much for the dispensation. I'll have to be sure to not abuse this grand power."

"For you, sweetheart? You go right ahead and abuse that power all you want." He leaned back into his seat once more, propping his feet on the table again. She reluctantly picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

"Ok, so now what?" she asked as he enjoyed his own glass. "What happens now?"

"Usually people come with a list of questions… How much money am I worth, will I marry them, or can they come work for me, for example. Which, coincidentally, the answers are a lot, no, and good news, you already do!"

She smiled and he waved an inviting hand.

"So go ahead. Ask whatever questions your heart desires. Ask about the company, or me—I'm particularly fond of that topic. Or you can ask questions about more random things like, oh, I don't know, guns or something."

Nadie immediately perked up, a wicked smile curling her lips.

"Guns, huh?"

"Well, I do run one of the biggest gun companies in the six galaxies," he pointed out. "If that's your fancy..."

"Oh, you poor dear," she said with a sigh, shaking her head sadly and already metaphorically pushing up her sleeves. "I almost feel sorry for you. Ok, let's start at the basics, then. Shotguns with scopes. Really?"

He blinked once in surprise, clearly not having expected her to actually pursue this line of inquiry, but he folded his hands behind his head and took to the battlefield.

"Well, you see, babe..."

/

/

Nadie had to give the man behind the mask credit. It was clear he knew his way around guns, but there was no way he was prepared for a woman who had been learning the inner workings of firearms from an age when most girls were learning how to braid their hair. (She still couldn't do that, as an aside.) Adding her almost inhuman understanding of guns to a slight mischievous streak and a need to push a man to his limits, she finally broke him when she began questioning her inability to get the coding and build of the Hyperion sniper rifle to allow for multiple mod enhancements.

He looked down at the quick sketches she had made on the cocktail napkins and sighed, shaking his head. He held his hands out wide as if to indicate defeat.

"Babe, I got nothing," he confessed, and his tone and cadence no longer matched the character he had been emulating. Nadie looked up from her notes in the triumph of having broken the act, but she froze the moment she met his hopeless gaze. Regret and guilt immediately struck her—this wasn't a man trying to pursue her. This wasn't some guy who was refusing to get the hint and leave her alone. This was just a gentleman doing a job, earning a paycheck, and now having to suffer the wrath of a woman who really should be lashing out at the person who had forced her to come here, not this poor fool.

The gunsmith sighed and held her own hands up, palms toward him in surrender.

"Hang on, hang on," she said, gathering up her notes. "Those absolutely aren't ready, sorry. Why don't we talk about something else? What do you typically do in a day?"

He gave her a quick, grateful smile, immediately realizing her intentions, and then, just like that, the persona was back up and in place. She spent the rest of the hour just chatting with her companion, avoiding any truly challenging questions, letting him live out the character and fulfill his job duties. The conversation was lively and entertaining, and as much as it had been rude of her to break him, he now spoke with an ease he hadn't before. In the remaining time they had, she started to get glimpses of the real man behind the mask. He was funny, possessing of a quick wit and a sharp bite to teasing, and when the soft chime went off to let them know the hour was over, she was actually disappointed.

"Well, it's been a blast, babe, but I guess that's it for now. I'm a busy man, you know." He shot her a grin and winked. She couldn't help but smile in return.

"Of course. Good luck with whatever meeting you have ahead of you," she wished him, which only got an eye roll in response.

"Oh yes, board meetings. My favorite of events."

She laughed and tossed him a wave as she left the room. A quick glance left and right down the hall told her the coast was clear and the path bereft of others. She made her way back to the reception area, which was thankfully devoid of Alexander.

"How'd it go, sweetie?" Leanne asked. Nadie pointed a commanding finger at her.

"When... Lexi gets back out here, let him know I stayed my hour, I hated it, and I went home without him, ok?"

Leanne blinked a couple of times and then nodded unsurely. "Ok, I can let him know. Will... we be seeing you again?" There was a note of concern and hesitation in her voice. Nadie pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"I don't know yet."

At that admission, Leanne's face lit up. "All right, I'll pass your message on to Lexi. Have a good night, Ms. Tirrell. I do honestly hope to see you again!"

"Good night, Leanne."

/

/

"So how'd it go?" her father asked without preamble when she picked up his call on her Echo. She closed her door behind her and stretched languidly as she headed for the kitchen.

"It was… interesting."

"Interesting," he repeated and then fell silent. She sighed. That was the closest to prying her father would get.

"So you know how I told you about that whole Handsome Jack Hour that Opportunity offered?

"Really?" She could hear her father's crooked brow.

"Apparently Alexander goes to that once a week. It's his 'me' time."

"Alexander?" A chuckle rumbled over the Echo connection. "I would have thought it would have been Lucille who would have indulged that particular vein of egotism."

"So would I. But ninety percent of Opportunity is head over heels in love with Handsome Jack. So, long story short, Alexander made me join him. Different rooms, different people, of course."

"How'd it go?"

"Well, I made the poor guy break character."

"Ah, that's my girl. Breaking men since she could speak." Her father's voice was even, but she knew him well enough to know he was teasing her.

"Dad… I don't always break boys."

Silence met her statement. She bit her lip and tried to counter his silence with her own. That last all of about ten seconds.

"Ok, fine, but this is the first time I actually felt bad about it."

"Nadie, all the other boys you've broken have been potential suitors."

"If I can break them, they're not worth it, Dad. Simple as that. But this guy is just some schmuck doing a job and pretending to be a very full of himself president of a multimillion dollar company."

"So you felt sorry for breaking him. That's a surprise, coming from you. You must have become quite fond of him."

"Once I apologized and let him get back to work. He certainly kept the mask up, so to speak, but I got glimpses of the guy underneath the character."

"Does this mean I'm going to get a call from you next week crying about how you broke this poor man again and you feel bad, but you're going to do it again because it's so much fun?"

"Dad," Nadie protested, laughing. "I'm not going to go see him again just to break him."

"But you are going to see him again?"

"I… I haven't decided yet."

Sheriff Lawson went quiet for a moment.

"Well, well. My little girl is finally growing up, is she?"

"Daaaaaad… It's not like I'm going to be pursuing him as a love interest. I'll probably never get to meet the man behind the face. But he did seem like an entertaining guy to get to know."

"Well, Nadie, if he caught your attention, he must be worth the time. I'll support whatever decision you make. Have fun."

Then the line went dead.

"And people accuse me of never saying goodbye."


	5. Chapter 04

"Aw man," Lucille moaned unhappily when she walked into the lab Monday morning and saw Nadie already at work at her drafting table. The gunsmith looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"I was really hoping you'd be late this morning."

"Why would I be late?"

"I figured Alexander would have done his duty and been an excellent wingman and made sure you went home with someone Friday night. Then, in my ideal, clearly fantastical, non-existent world, you would have come into work late, hair mussed and clothes askew. But alas, even Alexander seems to have failed."

"Oh, Lucille. He failed because he took me to the Hero Hour."

"He did _what_?!"

"Good morning, ladies!" Alexander greeted cheerily as he came into the lab.

"Alexander!" Lucille snapped, spinning on him. The gun designer froze immediately, eyes going wide.

"What'd I do? I swear I didn't eat the cookies you hide in your bottom desk drawer!"

"What? No, you took Nadie to the Hero Hour? Seriously?! Wait. What was that about my cookies?"

"Nothing," Alexander replied quickly. "What was that about the Hero Hour and how amazing I am from introducing Nadie to it?"

"Not amazing," Lucille growled. "When I gave you the win condition on the bet of making Nadie do something social, I figured you'd take her to a nightclub or a singles' bar or something and, you know, maybe help her find a boyfriend."

"I took her to something even better, Lucille!" Alexander retorted. "I introduced her to charismatic, wealthy, fantastic man to know!"

Lucille looked back at Nadie in exasperation. Nadie just shrugged.

"He's a Handsome Jack fan boy, Lucille. There's nothing more to it."

The red headed mod designer just sighed irritably.

"Next time, I'm not letting Alexander have the win condition."

"Oh pooh," he whimpered.

/

/

"Sorry I'm late," Azrae began as she shut the reinforced door behind her.

"You needn't worry," Tanis instructed her primly, sorting through papers on her desk. "Asha has as of yet not check back in, the tiny grenadier with a penchant for wearing psycho masks is throwing a childish temper tantrum in her room, and the living mountain of muscle named after a building material stomped out of here in a huff not more than five minutes ago. Some people can't handle instructions from greater minds."

"Sounds like everyone is getting along," Azrae observed dryly. Tanis simply snorted as she finished organizing her paperwork.

An awkward silence fell for a few minutes and then Azrae broached the quiet with a careful question.

"How is Maya doing?"

Tanis froze immediately and sighed, her fingers ceasing their frenzied movements.

"She is… recovering. Slowly. She hasn't yet awoken, but her body is mending," The scientist straightened and regarded Azrae. "I suggested creating a concoction of medicinal herbs and Eridium powder—we saw how the ore affected Lilith. However, Brick chose to err on the side of caution, and Asha was not here to counter his narrow-minded arguments. So we wait."

"We gather power/Through subtle plans of cunning/We must move slowly," came a deep voice from the shadows. Azrae jumped as a man in full black armor emerged from the shadows. Tanis frowned at the Vault Hunter.

"Yes, yes. We must move with extreme care right now. We have not the allies nor the resources to risk anything resembling an assault."

"You let me know what needs to be done," Azrae told her, glancing back at Zer0. "I'll see to it."

"We are the hunters/Stalking the warlord's shadow/Every movement slow."

"The masked man has a point," the former Dahl scientist agreed. "We must be very careful. Small incidents, I should think, wouldn't be too quickly noticed. Pipes failing, perhaps. Maybe the processing machinery of a plant malfunctions. Yes, I think there are some things that can be done." She glanced toward the direction of Tiny Tina's room. "Some things that will improve tempers and allow those too wound an outlet." She looked back at Azrae and Zer0.

"I will need help from both of you."

"Of course," Azrae replied immediately.

"Here," Zer0 agreed.

"Good. One of you go get the strange child. She'll like this, I should think."

"Am I late?" a new female voice asked. A brown haired woman wrapped in traveling gear came into the room, patting dirt off her clothing.

"Asha," Tanis observed, studying the dusty Siren. "You are tardy."

"Sorry. There is an odd amount of skags active around this area. Had to keep telling them to bug off. What can I help with?"

"You're timing is fortuitous," Tanis informed her. "I'll need the assistance of all of you for this to work properly…"

/

/

"Good night, Leanne," Nadie wished her as she was leaving for the evening. It was the third week she had come to the Hero Hour, and she had decided an odd friendship was growing with her actor pretending to be Handsome Jack. He paid bare lip service to the character anymore, and Nadie was enjoying the challenge of learning about the real man behind the mask, both metaphorically as well as literally.

"Good night, Ms. Tirrell," Leanne replied as the gunsmith left the receptionist area. Leanne took a pleased breath and leaned back in her chair happily. The night was almost over.

"Leanne," a male voice said suddenly. She looked over to see Rob, the Hero Hour supervisor, step out of his office and walk over to her. She fought to not frown—like all managers, he only made an appearance when something was wrong.

"What's up?"

"We have a problem with that one," he answered, nodding the way Nadie had gone. Leanne followed his gaze and allowed herself the frown.

"Handsome Jack's girlfriend?" she clarified. Leanne had given the title to Nadie as a sort of joke—the green haired woman was one of the only people who had a particular person she wanted to see, but hadn't ever checked the box that would make it into something more physically intimate. Much to Leanne's amusement and Rob's chagrin, the title had ended up sticking, and most of the employees working the Hero Hour had begun to refer to Nadie as such.

"Leanne…"

"Oh, what a face," she teased. "What's wrong?"

"I've been reviewing the footage for Ms. Tirrell. Greg's been losing the character. We need to swap actors."

Leanne's brows crooked together in concern. This was always a danger when a guest picked a favorite, that the actor might eschew the character and become too lax. Leanne had fudged a few times and numbers to keep Nadie with the man she preferred, but it was clear that was going to be a problem for future visits.

"Rob, you know he's her favorite," she protested. Rob shook his head sharply.

"I don't care. When people come here, they come for the experience of the company of Handsome Jack. They do not come to get to know any of our actors personally. Bring in Darren or Miguel, I don't care, just make sure she doesn't have Greg next time."

Leanne, who had gotten to know Nadie fairly well over the past few weeks, shook her head.

"This is not going to end well, Rob."

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. I have an establishment to run, and you know it'll be both our heads if anyone complains about the Hero Hour not providing the experience expected."

She sighed.

"You're the boss."

/

/

"I'm pissed, that's how I am," Nadie snarled to her father when Lawson called to do his weekly check in on her.

"Really?" She could hear the crooked eyebrow in his tone. Since the first discussion about the Hero Hour, the prior two weeks had been filled with reports about her enjoyment in getting to know her gentleman actor, but tonight it was clear she was not a happy woman.

"They went and changed guys on me."

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know. Probably because they felt he was slipping or not living up to expectations. Not that I'm there for the experience they advertise. I wanted to get to know the real man under that mask." It was childish, but she stomped her foot angrily. Juvenile or no, it made her feel better.

"Why not ask for him back?"

"I did. But Leanne just fed me some crap about that not being allowed." She crossed her arms with a huff.

"Well, Nadie, you are a paying customer. If they won't provide you with what you want, stop going. If they want your business, they'll make exceptions."

The gunsmith sighed. "That isn't an ideal solution, but I have a feeling it's going to really be my only option." A moment of silence followed as she gathered her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dad. How are things going at home?"

Lawson grunted. "Much the same as usual. The only weird thing is the wildlife."

"Yeah? Are they being overly aggressive again?"

"No. They've actually been missing for a week or two now."

Nadie blinked. "Missing?"

"Don't know how else to put it… We haven't seen any rakks flying overhead for a few days, and that skag pack outside of town just up and left a week ago. No one's seen them."

"That's… bizarre."

"Yup. Normally, I'd attribute it to the Warrior's patrol, but he came and went several weeks ago. There isn't a reason they shouldn't be around."

"Huh. Well, keep me appraised, ok, Dad? Maybe something nastier moved into the area and we'll have to deal with it. Speaking of dealing with it, I think I'm going to go. I need to go create or break something."

"Go create. It's a better use of your time."

"Night, Dad."

/

/

Mister Blake found Handsome Jack in the high security armory where the Research and Development department kept their high quality materials. It was also where the Vault Key was kept in a hermetically sealed capsule when not in use by its master. Computers constantly read the data put off by the Eridian artifact, continuously analyzing the information for more hints of other Vaults while doubling as an ever-active guard to make sure of the Key's safety.

Handsome Jack stood before the Key, staring intently at it, but Mister Blake had a sneaking suspicion his superior wasn't actually regarding the artifact.

"Sir?" he questioned carefully. In the few years that had passed since Handsome Jack had triumphed over the Vault Hunters and awoken the Warrior, his temper had, in a general sense, evened, but when people or actions vexed him, that hair trigger anger surged to the forefront. Mister Blake had as of yet never been on the wrong side of it, and frankly he had no intent of changing that, but it was never a bad idea to be cautious around the president, especially when one had bad news.

"The Highlands factory suffered a rather devastating explosion two days ago," Handsome Jack all but growled, turning to look at his assistant. Mister Blake didn't allow his sigh of relief to escape. He thought he was going to be the one to have to bring that news to Hyperion's president.

"I had been informed of such," Mister Blake acknowledged. "They are still looking into the cause. They believe it was a coolant system failure, but we won't know for sure for a few more days."

Handsome Jack took a slow breath.

"It has been one continuous string of bad luck, Jimmy." He turned back to the Vault Key. "The power lines went down in Lynchwood last month. The piping in the Eridian Blight broke two weeks ago. Now this. I am funneling hundreds of thousands into these projects. They should be working at top efficiency!"

"It's not all bad, sir," Mister Blake soothed the irate president. "The manufactories in Thousand Cuts are open and operating at full capacity. The mines out in Frostburn Canyon struck an extensive vein of Eridium. Even the Warrior hasn't located any bandit encampments for a few weeks now."

"Thank goodness my most reliable employee is doing _his_ job at least. No offense, Jimmy," he added over his shoulder.

"None taken, sir."

Silence stretched between them for a moment, and then Handsome Jack glanced back at his subordinate.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, sir."

The Hyperion president turned back to studying the Vault Key. Taking that as a dismissal, Mister Blake stepped out of the armory, leaving Handsome Jack to the quiet of the empty room and the soft hum of active electronics. He let out a sigh, watching the Key slowly spin in its containment.

"C'mon, lady luck, flip me a freakin' ace here."

/

/

Leanne smiled brilliantly when she saw Nadie.

"Miss Tirrell! Seven p.m., right on the dot."

"Well, when I got your message saying my normal room was open at a later time, but please, please, please don't show up even a minute earlier, I thought it might be prudent to listen."

"I knew you were a smart lady," Leanne laughed. She handed over a key. "Now quick, get out of here before Rob sees you."

Nadie chuckled and obliged her, heading toward the back happily. Leanne watched her go and smiled, feeling quite satisfied with herself.

"Leanne!" a male voice snapped. She sighed silently and turned to face the coming storm. So much for not being noticed.

"What the hell?" Rob demanded, closing the distance to his employee. "You set her up with Greg, didn't you?"

Leanne rolled her eyes.

"Look, Rob, Miss Tirrell hasn't been here for the last two weeks because we changed actors on her. Let's be honest—she's not here for the Hero Hour experience. Just leave her be."

Rob stared at her in irritation for a long moment and then let out a defeated breath, realizing this was not a conflict he was going to win.

"Ok, fine. Screw it. This just isn't worth fighting over. You're right. If she were here for the same reason every other person was, she wouldn't have put up as much of a fuss. Fuck it. It's her money."

"So I don't have to go behind your back and arrange it anyway?" Leanne asked with a wicked grin. Rob sighed, but gave her a thin smile.

"Handsome Jack's girlfriend gets what she wants."

"Excellent!" Leanne purred. "I knew you'd see it my way!"

Rob just shook his head. "I guess I'll let the rest of the team know she's back." He made his way back toward his office as Leanne waved him goodbye cheerily.

His office wasn't terribly large, but it was his little home away from home. A few knickknacks lined the nearby desk, and a small bookcase stood against the far wall. Rob didn't let clutter gather—he wasn't a fan of chaos in his life or his job, especially given that though Handsome Jack rarely paid attention to the activities of the Hero Hour, he was exceptionally quick to respond to problems that rose with it.

Rob plopped down into his well-loved chair and began to type up an email. The title, "Handsome Jack's girlfriend returns," sort of said it all, but Rob added to the body of the email a quick synopsis, letting his subordinates know Nadie had come back to the Hero Hour, to leave her be, and to stop teasing Greg about it. He was doing a phenomenal job dealing with a woman who was proving to be quite the handful. That was saying something, given the clientele they worked with on a regular basis.

He paused just before he hit "send." In retrospect, his boss and her assistant would probably find the situation pretty funny, as well. He added the management group to the email and then sent it on its way. A low chuckle escaped him as he finally allowed enough of the stress to fall away so he could find the situation amusing.

That lasted all of about five seconds until a cold chill when down his spine. Had he selected the email group for just his direct management, or…?

He immediately opened the sent folder and looked at whom the email had gone to. His heart went from drumming a thundering beat in his chest to freezing in half a second. The managerial group he had selected hadn't been just his boss and her assistant—he had succeeded at getting the email list for _all_ of Hyperion's managerial staff in Opportunity.

Instantly, visions of the worst possible scenarios started going through his head, ranging anywhere from losing his job to being shot to being fed to the Warrior. If he was lucky, he might just be the laughing stock of the Hyperion newspaper for a while.

"Relax, relax," he told himself, trying to get ahold of his wild imagination. "How likely is it that Handsome Jack would bother paying attention to an email like that? I'm sure he's too busy to notice." He forced himself to lean back in his chair and breathe evenly for a few minutes, trying to calm the adrenaline racing through him.

Then the worst thing happened; a soft trill came from his Echo, announcing an incoming call.

"Please let that be anyone else," Rob begged, looking skyward to anything resembling a higher power that might be listening. "Let it be anyone else. Even my ex-husband!"

He tapped the side of his Echo to accept the call.

"Good evening?"

"So… Girlfriend, huh?" a smooth male voice asked dryly from the other end. Rob was pretty sure his life was officially over.

"Uh, hello, President."

"What are we talking?" he continued, either unintentionally, or, more likely, deliberately ignoring the quaver in Rob's voice. "Give me some details. Is she an eight? A five?"

"Um," Rob struggled, trying to find words that were both honest and might save his life. "I don't know… A nine?"

"A nine?" Handsome Jack repeated, his tone disbelieving. "Really? You got any other information for me? Is she six foot nine? Five foot one? Brunette? Blonde? You gotta give me something here."

"Ah, I'll, uh, send you an image, sir," Rob stammered. He quickly selected out a shot of the gunsmith from some of the footage they had stored and forwarded it on to the president, making very sure he sent it to Handsome Jack only.

"See now, there are the brains I expect in my employees," the president commended condescendingly. A moment of silence passed while Rob sweated bullets, and then he heard a surprised whistle.

"Holy… You got good tastes down there. She _is_ a nine."

"Uh, thank you, sir."

"So, how long have we been dating for?"

"Um…" Rob ran dates back through his head rapidly. "About two months, on and off?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. On and off? What, did my awesomeness scare her off?"

"Not exactly, sir."

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?"

"Well," Rob replied, desperately trying to figure out how to explain the situation without seeming completely incompetent or lax. "She kinda found a favorite actor and didn't care for the others…"

"Whoa, hold on. What kind of pony shows are you running down there? You're supposed to be strutting out the stallions! Obviously there's a problem if she's picking favorites!"

"To be fair, sir, he _is_ one of our best."

"Well, clearly she's looking for something of better quality if she's being selective. Evidently you need better than the best."

"Sir?" The Hero Hour supervisor felt a pit forming in his stomach.

"When is this woman there?"

"Uh, every Friday night, sir."

"Ok, listen up, because this is how next week is going to go…"


	6. Chapter 05

"Now, sweetie, I know we've had some disagreements in the past," Nadie began soothingly, leaning in close, "but you gotta listen to me, hun. I need you to work with me right now."

"Lucille," Alexander called. "Nadie's going crazy! She's talking to her sniper rifle again!"

Lucille sighed. "Get the restraints, Alexander. It's clearly time for her medication."

"Oh, ha ha," Nadie retorted, rolling her eyes. "Very funny, you two."

"Nadie, we're only looking out for you," Alexander told her. "We can always tell when it's time to pull you away from your work. Whether you like it or not."

"It's for your own good," Lucille agreed, nodding sagely. "But in all seriousness, it's probably time for a break.

Nadie made a face. "I think I'm going to work on this a bit longer…"

"I brought homemade cookies," Alexander offered innocently.

"…Or I might take a break," the gunsmith said as if finishing her prior sentence. She set the pieces of her dismantled sniper rifle aside and wiped off her hands, walking over to where Alexander was setting out little treasures of sweet flavors. Lucille was already hovering nearby, waiting impatiently for permission to grab one. Both women had long ago discovered that presentation was Alexander's bane—he wouldn't let them so much as breathe on a meal he had prepared if he wasn't happy with the way it was plated.

The gun designer set the last of the batch down on their matching little serving plates and nodded to his coworkers.

"Ok, go for it."

"Awesome!" Lucille purred happily and decisively snatched up a handful. Nadie took a set for herself.

"Thank you, Alexander."

"Yeah, thank you," Lucille agreed, mouth already full of cookie. She plopped down on a nearby chair while Alexander hopped up on a desk and Nadie leaned against the wall. There were a few minutes of companionable silence as the trio enjoyed their dessert.

"So, any plans for the weekend?" Alexander asked, liking his fingers clean.

Lucille smiled happily.

"Harolt and I are going out to Oasis," she informed them excitedly.

"Harolt? Isn't that the guy from the bar two months ago?" Nadie inquired.

"Yeah, why?"

"Wow. Two whole months." Nadie glanced at Alexander who shared her mock astonished expression.

"Lucille, are you sick?" the blonde haired man questioned.

"Or are there wedding bells in the future?" Nadie added. Lucille rolled her eyes.

"Hey, just because I'm still seeing a guy after two months…" She fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment before going on the offensive. "Besides, you're not one to give me crap, Nadie. What are you doing this weekend?"

The gunsmith shrugged her shoulders.

"You know me. I'll go home and work, as per usual."

"Laaaaame," Lucille groaned. "C'mon, Nadie, do something exciting! Go on a blind date!"

"Go back to the Hero Hour!" Alexander suggested. Lucille spun on him, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Don't you start, mister! You're still in trouble for that! I want Nadie to have a real relationship."

"Hey," Alexander protested, "it's as real as your relationship with Mr. BuzzBuzz!"

Lucille gasped in horror. "You leave Mr. BuzzBuzz out of this! Besides, I haven't seen Mr. BuzzBuzz in two months, and I think we're both happier and healthier for the time apart."

"Then maybe you can lend him to Nadie. He can keep her company for the weekend," Alexander suggested teasingly.

"I would never give him up!" Lucille retorted. "Though I'd be happy to help Nadie get a Mr. BuzzBuzz for herself. It's not a boyfriend, but beggars can't be

choosers…"

"No thanks, Lucille," Nadie stated, holding her hands up as if to ward off a blow. "I don't think I need a… uh… buzzing friend."

"No," Lucille agreed. "You need a real friend. A male friend. Preferably a male friend who will throw you into a bed and keep you there for three days!"

"Lucille!"

"Don't you 'Lucille' me, Nadie. You need to get laid!"

"Enough." Nadie crossed her arms over her chest. "Enough, Lucille. Whether I need to get laid or not—and I'm not asking for your input here—you have been riding my ass about this boyfriend thing for the last two months nearly nonstop. Enough is enough. Please."

"I have not!" Lucille protested.

"Actually, you sort of have," Alexander acknowledged. Lucille puffed up like she was going to argue, and then she sighed.

"I'm sorry, Nadie. I'm just honestly worried about you! Your life is going to be over and you'll never have lived it if you're not careful!"

Nadie smiled. "Having a boyfriend isn't a requirement to living a full life, Lucille. I got a job that lets me do the thing I love. I have two great friends. I am honestly happy."

Lucille and Alexander exchanged a look and then gave the gunsmith genuine smiles.

"Aw, I knew you liked us!" Alexander gushed.

"I'm really sorry if I pushed too far," Lucille apologized. Nadie walked over to the red headed mod designer and hugged her.

"It's all right. Thanks for caring about me, Lucille. It means a lot to me."

The women shared their warm moment for a time before Alexander piped up with a, "Who wants more cookies?"

"Oooh! Me!" Lucille chirped, and just like that, she was back to her normal self.

Nadie sighed in amusement. It was Friday night and she was now looking forward to her time at the Hero Hour even more than she had prior. Some semblance of normalcy, as weird as that was to say, would be nice.

/

/

It was Friday night and Rob was dreading the events to come. He had spent the entire week going through the motions, running his business, living his life, but all of his thoughts had been consumed by the fact that he might very well die tonight. If Handsome Jack wasn't satisfied with the experience, or if Nadie acted like her normal self, there was no way Rob was going to live through the night.

Unless it was so he could be fired out of a canon at the Warrior the next morning.

It was less than two hours until the time of judgment, and Rob found his way to the front reception area. It hadn't been opened to the guests yet, and Leanne was chatting amiably with Greg. Seeing the two of them together was the first bit of good news he'd had all day—he could kill two birds with one stone.

"Greg."

Both of his employees looked up when they heard him.

"Hey boss. What's up?"

"Go home," Rob commanded. There was a moment of astonished silence while Greg and Leanne glanced at each other in surprise.

"Go home?" Greg repeated, looking back at Rob.

"Yeah. Go home."

"But I have a full night's shift—"

"Paid time," Rob interrupted. "You have a paid night off. Just go home. Trust me. You don't want to be here tonight.

"Isn't Nadie going to be here?" Greg asked in concern. Rob groaned wearily.

"Yes." He turned to his receptionist. "Leanne, if you care about me as a boss… hell, if you care about me as a person, just play along tonight as though nothing is wrong, ok? Please?"

"O—ok." She peered worriedly at him. "Are you going to be all right?"

"We'll see by the end of tonight," he replied. "And if you don't hear from me tomorrow, you'll know the answer."

Then, without waiting for a response, he walked away back toward his office, his pace the slow trod of a doomed man. Leanne and Greg exchanged another perplexed look.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Greg asked with a confused shrug.

/

/

It was Friday night and Handsome Jack was anticipating an entertaining evening. He was still in his office wrapping up the affairs of the day, but he had been clock watching for the last hour. It was finally getting close to the time to leave.

"I gathered the files you will require," Mister Blake stated as he came into the room, several manila envelopes under his arm. "I estimate the transaction should be completed within—" He paused, studying his superior. "Sir, might I inquire as to where you're going? You do have a meeting in less than an hour."

"Plans changed," Handsome Jack informed him, standing and readjusting his jacket over his shoulders. "I have another appointment I need to get to."

"Sir, this negotiation has been planned for a month."

Handsome Jack shrugged. "Reschedule it. Bump it one hour. Just tell them something came up."

"One hour?" Mister Blake questioned, watching as Hyperion's president walked around his desk and toward the door. "Does this happen to have anything to do with that email from the Hero Hour last week? Not that I would ever question your interests, sir, but is that really important right now?"

Handsome Jack stopped and looked back at Mister Blake slowly.

"Now, I know you would never question my actions, right, Jimmy?"

"Of course not, sir."

"And I know you would see my orders through, correct?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Then reschedule the meeting," he instructed firmly. "This has been a shitty week. Hell, this has been a shitty couple of weeks. So I'm going to take one hour to myself, relax, and have some fun. Now, do you have anything else to you want to add?"

"Just this, sir." Mister Blake shuffled the files in his arms and selected one up to hand to his boss. "The dossier for the young lady in question."

Hyperion's president took it and crooked an eyebrow at his subordinate.

"Sometimes, you're too smart for your own good, Jimmy."

"Thank you, sir."

"That wasn't intended as a compliment."

"I know, sir." He set the rest of the files down on Handsome Jack's desk. "I will make the arrangements with regard to the meeting. You'd best be on your way if you don't want to be late to yours."

"I'm Handsome Jack," the president retorted. "I'm never late. I arrive precisely when I mean to."

"While I don't disagree, sir," Mister Blake replied, "women tend to get antsy if left waiting."

"By the time I'm done, Jimmy, she'll be antsy to see me again." He primly tugged his jacket up and left the office.

/

/

He was directed down a hall to a door that led into a fairly small, nondescript room. It was clear she had already been here for a little while—the wine bottle was open, both wine glasses were full, and her shoes were tucked beneath her chair. She had curled up barefoot into her seat and was reading some series of pages in a file, her emerald green hair tied back in a simple tail. The moment he walked in, she looked up. The photo Rob had forwarded on to him hadn't been clear enough to see, but in person her eyes were violet. It wasn't one of the oddest colorations for a woman he'd seen, but it was definitely unusual. She was dressed nearly head to toe—long sleeved turtleneck, full slacks, and fingerless work gloves. She must have been grateful for the Hero Hour's temperature control.

"You're late," she observed. While the assumption that he ran on anyone else's time but his own might have annoyed him in another situation, her tone was simply softly amused rather than accusatory, as if the fact he was tardy was a joke in and of itself.

"Well, you know how it is, babe," he replied. "Running a company is a demanding job." He settled into his chair and threw one leg over the armrest.

Nadie folded up her papers and set them aside, a perplexed expression creeping across her face. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but something about his tone or the way he moved just wasn't quite right. A sneaking suspicion began niggling in the back of her mind.

"So…" she began as he made himself comfortable. "How's the cooking class going?"

He stared at her for a moment, blinking as a look of astonishment went across his face.

"Oh, it's great," he finally replied after struggling for a response for a moment. "I love the time and effort and—why the hell would I want to cook? I pay people to do that tedious work for me!"

Nadie's eyebrows rose up nearly to her hairline. Well, that answered one question. As she had suspected, this was most definitely not the gentleman she had spent the last week with. Why were they swapping actors on her again? Hadn't they learned their lesson?

"Because men who cook are sexy?" Nadie responded, her tone somewhere between question and amused chuckle. He let out a disgruntled huff.

"Look at me," he retorted, gesturing to himself. "I am the king of sexiness. Why would I need to add the ability to cook to this? It'd make me… a… god of sexiness…" He frowned thoughtfully. The gunsmith smiled.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Yeah, I realized it as I was saying it," he acknowledged. He rubbed his chin as he considered it. "Maybe I should take some cooking classes."

Nadie smiled idly. "That's the reason you started taking those classes, isn't it?"

"Nah, it's why I was _considering_ taking them."

The gunsmith puckered her lips up in irritation.

"That wasn't our conversation from last week."

"Sure it was, babe," he said with an easy shrug. "You're clearly misremembering it."

She scowled at that response. She had only been through a swap of actors once, but she knew the theory behind the Hero Hour's practice. Every meeting was recorded and kept stored within a guest's file. When a new actor took over the role of companion to a guest, they reviewed the video and did any necessary research to step into the former Handsome Jack double's shoes. The Hero Hour prided itself on providing a unique, satisfying experience. However, not only was it obvious the man across the way hadn't done his research, he wasn't even trying to cater to her opinions. Not that a bit of conflict was a bad thing, of course, but the unwelcome change of actors was not filling her with affection toward the gentleman.

That was the point she decided she was done with him.

Nadie gave him a beatific smile. "Since you haven't started cooking classes yet, so we can't talk about those, want to help me with a project?" She tapped the file she had set aside.

He quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm not usually one for assisting in other people's work, but for a woman as gorgeous as you, I'll consider it."

She snorted, but picked up the file and started selecting pages out seemingly at random.

"Care to help me with a design problem I've been struggling with for a while?"

"Design?" He looked less than enthused. "What kind of design we talking here?"

"Gun design," she clarified. He leaned back into his seat, looking a little less disagreeable.

"Ok, babe. Shoot."

She grinned. This was going to be fun.

/

/

It took a little bit to get to the actual problem before her; as much as it was her intent to break him, she was legitimately struggling with the design of the Hyperion sniper rifle, and any input anyone had that might be of use would be nice. She took her time to make sure he had the basics, exploring every opportunity to exhaust his understanding of the topic, but she was finding this man was far more knowledgeable than any of the gentlemen before him. He easily kept up with the conversation, even occasionally taking control of it or asking pointed questions about what she had and hadn't tried.

By the time she got the core issue, she had forgotten about her intent to break him and was, in fact, rather enjoying the back and forth.

"Here," she explained, pointing to her datapad where she had pulled up the digitized coding of the sniper rifle. Both had leaned forward in their seats, heads together like conspirators. "This is where the trouble is, somewhere in these lines of code. Something in here is overriding any of the mods I've installed on the gun when we try to input the data in the system. The frustrating part is I don't know which part of the code is the offender and no one I've shown it to has been of any help!"

"Oooh," Handsome Jack chuckled, his eyes flicking across the screen. "Here's your problem, right here." He selected a series of lines, shading it in color to draw her attention to it. "This coding is a remainder from some of the older mods that got outdated a few years ago. We've never bothered to take it out because it wasn't causing any issue and it wasn't cost efficient to remove it. However, looks like with the way you've been coding your mods, the data interferes with each other and the older code takes precedence."

Nadie stared at the code, then looked back at him, then back at the code, a little squeak of disbelief escaping her.

"What's really going to irritate you is that all this code?" He gestured at it. "Nonessential. Just pull it out. You shouldn't have any problems with it after that."

The gunsmith continued to regard the datapad, mouth slightly ajar. He couldn't help it; a smile curled his lips as she struggled to find words. It took her three tries before she was finally able to speak.

"I… I have been grappling with this for almost a year. You… you just solved it in five minutes simply by looking at the codes."

"Yuuup." He leaned back in his chair once more and tucked his hands behind his head. "I'm awesome."

"I…" Nadie fell silent and just sat there quietly for a long moment, shaking her head. "I don't think I have anything else to contribute to this conversation anymore."

"That works out just fine, seeing as we're fifteen minutes over our hour," he responded easily.

"What?" She looked over her shoulder at the clock tucked in by the door. He was right—even taking into consideration his late arrival, they had gone over the allotted time.

"You didn't hear the chime go off, did you?" he chuckled.

"I don't think I have ever missed the alert," she protested, even as she checked her Echo to verify the clock's accuracy. To her dismay, it was correct.

"As much as I would love to keep knocking our heads together over coding, I am quite late for a meeting I already pushed off." He stood, quickly tugging his jacket back into place over his shoulders.

"But…" she began. He gave her a flirtatious smile.

"Don't worry, sweet cheeks, for the pleasure of stunning you into silence, those fifteen minutes will be on me. I imagine that doesn't happen to you very often."

"No, it doesn't." She was pouting, and he was sure it wasn't just an act to be cute. His smile became a wicked grin.

"Unfortunately for both of us, I absolutely have to get to this meeting. Otherwise, I might see what other firsts I can find." He winked at her while she squeaked and blushed. Before she could scavenge up enough control of herself to retort, he made his exit, an amused chuckle rumbling in his chest. Nadie was left in the quiet that descended over the room after his departure, staring down at the notes on her pad. She slowly gathered up her file and documents before leaving and making her way toward the Hero Hour's entrance.

"Ah, welcome back, Miss Tirrell! Did everything go well?" Leanne inquired, trying to keep her tone normal and not dripping with the curiosity she had been struggling with for the last few hours.

"Yeah," Nadie answered vaguely, her eyes still running over codes and already planning for her return to the lab. She padded past the receptionist, not looking up from her work.

"Um, Miss Tirrell…? Oh, good night then," Leanne wished her unsurely as the gunsmith continued straight toward the exit, barely acknowledging the world around her.


	7. Chapter 06

"Nadalie?" her father questioned, a note of concern entering his voice. She had greeted him cheerily enough when he called her, but the moment he asked how she was doing, she had gone silent.

"Do I need to bring Betsy?"

That prompted her to respond.

"Oh, no, no, no. It's not that bad."

"How bad is it?"

"I'm… not sure." She frowned at herself, but it was a thoughtful rather than irritated expression. "They changed the actors on me again at the Hero Hour."

"Again? I thought they were over that. They charge you for the night anyway? You should probably consider not going there anymore."

"Yeah, I know you'd think that, but…" She fell silent and began to pace the room slowly. "This new actor was… he was different. He was _committed_ , that's what he was."

"Oh?" Lawson set his paperwork aside to focus on the conversation fully. There was a tone in his daughter's voice he hadn't heard before.

"Yeah. He knew his guns. He knew his coding." Her pacing sped up. "I couldn't break him, Dad." The words were said softly, like it was some great sin she was admitting.

"Really?" He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on his desk. "I don't think you've ever met someone who could stand against you."

"I know!" She threw up her arms, her volume spiking back up as she got steadily more animated. "But this guy…. Oooh, this guy. I couldn't get him to back down on the whole Handsome Jack persona. Even when I got into the nitty gritty of gun mechanics, he was there the whole time, following along with this almost bored look like he was waiting for me to get to the challenging part. And the freaking coding problem I've been having? He looked at it and almost immediately saw the issue! I've been struggling with that damn thing for nearly a year. I've had close to fifteen sets of eyes on it, and no one ever saw the problem! Yet he looks at it, studies it for half a second, and then does this whole, 'Here's your problem right here, babe.' Then he gets this shit-eating grin and just watches me sputter!" she snapped irritably and stamped her foot.

Lawson chuckled abruptly.

"What?!" Nadie demanded.

"Well, I'll be. He broke _you_."

The gunsmith froze, a look of horror settling across her features.

"I—no—but—he—oooooo," she growled as the realization dawned. Her father began laughing more deeply.

"I will not stand for this!" she snarled. "I will not allow myself to be bested!"

"Go big, Nadie. I'm sure you'll break him."

"Is that sarcasm I'm sensing?" she demanded.

"No, Nadie. Not at all."

"You're no help," she told him and shut down the connection. She pulled the Echo off her head and stuck her tongue out at it.

"See how you like it!"

In Erikeep, Lawson laughed openly. From the front office, his deputy looked back in awe and astonishment—she didn't think she had ever seen anything resembling a smile on her boss' face before, let alone heard such mirth come from him. The sheriff set his Echo down on his desk and shook his head.

"Oh, little girl, you might have bitten off more than you can chew."

"Sir?" Valnea Cheval called from the front. Lawson immediately schooled his expression.

"Nothing, Cheval."

"Yes, sir." Her eyes went back to the windows looking out over town.

"Uh, sir? Looks like you're about to have company."

Lawson shoved himself to his feet, put his Echo back on, and stepped into the doorway to see who was on their way in. He quirked an eyebrow when Ryanne Thorpe, the town mayor, walked into the office.

"Lawson," she said by way of greeting.

"Ryanne," he replied. Lawson glanced down at Valnea.

"No interruptions."

"Yes, sir."

Lawson gestured toward his office and the mayor stepped in. He followed her and shut the door behind them.

"Mayor?" the sheriff simply stated, his tone an inquiry.

"Lawson, would you talk with Darrell? He came to me asking permission to leave Erikeep for an extended period of time."

"So?"

Ryanne let out a slow breath. "He thinks he's found it."

Lawson sighed irritably. The former Dahl scientist had settled into Erikeep back in the day because of the Eridian ruins centered in the canyon next to the town, but his primary goal had always been the procurement of one particular Eridian artifact he had discovered vague references to in his studies.

"That damn fool."

"I can't stop him from going, Lawson, but he respects you. Maybe you can try and talk him out of it."

The sheriff grunted.

"I can try, but you know how hard-headed he is."

"That's all I can ask, Lawson. I miss Nadie. She's the only one who was ever capable of refocusing him."

"Yeah, well, Nadie's got her hands full right now, so I doubt she'll be coming to our rescue. I'll try talking to him."

"Thanks, Sheriff."

Lawson opened the door back up and escorted Ryanne to the exit. Once she was on her way, Lawson looked back at Valnea.

"I'll be stepping out for a time. Contact me if you need something."

"Yes, sir."

The sheriff stepped out into the warm air and took a slow breath before beginning the walk toward Darrell's home. Townsfolk nodded politely to him as he made his way down the street, but no one stopped to try and hold a conversation with him. Everyone in Erikeep respected their sheriff, but they also were wise enough to be cautious around him. Lawson was not one to brook fools.

Darrell Dobos' home was one of the smaller dwellings—the scientist lived alone and, if he had his way, was almost never there. An only child raised by a single father, Nadie had latched onto him as a sort of uncle figure, and Darrell had taken on the responsibility of schooling the girl. As such, Lawson and Darrell's relationship was unique, but Darrell and Nadie's was closer.

"Darrell," Lawson called, rapping his knuckles on the door. It took a moment, but Darrell opened the door. He was an older man, slightly overweight, grey sneaking into his hair, but his eyes were alight with excitement and good humor.

"Lawson," he greeted warmly. "Come in, come in."

The sheriff carefully stepped into the room. It was a chaotic battlefield of clothing, gear, and books, all centered around travel, exploration, and the Eridian in that order. Darrell had a pack open on the bed that he was haphazardly throwing things into.

"Darrell…" Lawson began.

"Don't try," Darrell replied immediately. "I'm going. I found where it is, Lawson."

"You're a damn fool," Lawson retorted. "It doesn't exist."

"Yes, yes it does," the scientist answered as he picked up more items and threw them into his pack.

"The Heart of Pandora is a myth, Darrell. A fairytale. You've been looking for it for years and never found it."

"It's the Heart of the Land, Lawson. The Heart of Pandora was a mistranslation. I never knew where to look," he continued excitedly. "But I've found it. I _know_ I have! Think about it, Lawson! If it's even half of what the stories say it is, it could mean a new way to live on Pandora! Safely!"

" _If_ ," Lawson agreed grudgingly. "But you shouldn't go alone, Darrell. It's dangerous out there. You know that."

Darrell snorted. "I've been on Pandora as long as you, Lawson, and I've been through my fair share of ruins and wastelands. I'll be fine."

The sheriff sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win when he started the argument, but this was the point when the conflict was officially over and he had lost.

"You're lucky Nadie isn't here. She'd tie your dumb ass down."

Darrell laughed. "You know that isn't true. Your daughter would volunteer to come along."

Lawson just shook his head in exasperation.

"Yes, I have no doubt she would."

"More's the pity. I could have used her help in this. She's got a way with Eridian tech."

"Well, you find something, Darrell, I'll call her. Be safe out there."

"I'll be fine, Lawson," Darrell assured him again as he continued to throw things in a bag that was clearly stuffed full.

/

/

This time, Nadie was ready for war when she walked onto the Hero Hour grounds.

"Miss Tirrell?" Leanne greeted, but it was more a question than anything.

"Good evening, Leanne. Same room as usual?" Nadie did her best to give her a pleasant expression. As much as she was here to win a war, the gunsmith was going to try and minimize innocent casualties.

"As always, Miss Tirrell." Leanne started to hand over the key, but she hesitated.

"Miss Tirrell, did… did everything go well last week? You seemed… preoccupied when you left."

Nadie shook her head.

"Everything went fine, Leanne." She took the offered key. "And tonight, I'm going to make sure of it."

Without waiting for the receptionist to respond to that cryptic comment, Nadie headed toward the back rooms. She wasn't sure whether they would keep the same actor from last week or if they would provide the man she had returned to the Hero Hour initially for, but she was mentally prepared and ready to retaliate against the infuriating gentleman who had outpaced her.

She opened the door to see the Handsome Jack double of the night was already seated, feet on the table, hands behind his head, an expression of soul-crushing boredom on his face. His eyes lit instantly when he spotted her entry.

"Hiya, sweet cheeks! Got that code removed? Did it make all of your dreams come true?"

No doubt about it—unless this actor was very, very good, his tone and cadence matched the man from the prior week exactly.

She frowned.

"Hardly. Finally got the mod installed and uploaded, but the first time we tried to digitize it, it exploded."

His brows rose.

"Exploded? While that certainly has applications, we aren't trying to be Tediore here."

Nadie rolled her eyes.

"Of this, I am aware. It blew up into snow, if that makes it any better."

"Snow." He gave her a disbelieving look.

"Yup. Had an impromptu snowball fight and everything. That went about as well as you can imagine until Rueben came into the lab and yelled at us to knock it off."

"Did that actually stop the battle?"

"Yeah, but not before he got a face full of snow." She gave him a toothy smile. He grinned.

"I knew there was a trouble maker under that gorgeous exterior somewhere."

"Psh. I'm a hard worker who rarely makes waves." She abruptly remembered her goal and the reason she had come tonight and tapped the folder she had brought along. "I have been accused of being all work and no play."

His eyes followed her motion and he frowned when he saw the folder.

"Oh no, babe, you can put that away. We're not talking guns tonight."

Her brows knit together and she quirked her head to the side in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"We both know we can talk about guns until the day is long, and I'm sure we'll revisit that topic eventually, but I have other things I want to discuss tonight."

The gunsmith frowned irritably. This man just didn't want to bother paying lip service to the rules of the Hero Hour. It was really starting to get on her nerves.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how this works."

"It does when I want it to," he replied simply, his tone suggesting she should already get how this went. "I want to learn about you."

"Me?" She laughed. "You won't be happy with that topic… I'm rather boring, all things considered."

"You leave that to me to decide, pumpkin."

Nadie shrugged a little helplessly. She could already tell he wasn't about to be distracted, but she didn't generally care for talking about herself. He clearly saw the reticence on her face.

"Oh, come on, babe. You gotta give me something to go off of here. Your file is almost completely bereft of details. I'll even take the basics at this point—siblings? Parents? Or did someone just rub a rocket launcher and a grenade mod together and out came this bombshell?" He gestured at her.

She let out an exasperated sigh, fighting off a smile. Somehow, she knew she wouldn't hear the end of it until she started giving him some history.

"No, no birth by gun. I have parents, a mother and a father. Mother's not in the picture anymore, it's been Dad raising me since I was five."

"See?" He leaned back and gestured widely. "I've already learned more about you today than I did reading your file!" He scooted his chair a little closer, studying her intently.

"Why no mom? She get eaten by something?"

"No," Nadie replied, her tone short. "She and my father… did not see eye to eye on how to raise a child."

"Hm. Touchy subject, huh?"

"A little, yes. Touchier for my dad than me. It was not a polite separation. I barely remember her." Her face clouded over and her partner changed the topic smoothly.

"And what about where you grew up?"

"Born on planet," she answered, grateful for the change of questioning. "I'm a Pandoran girl. My father was a Dahl captain placed planet side with his unit to guard a mining site. When the company pulled out, Dad gave them the finger and his resignation."

Handsome Jack chuckled.

"A man with good sense."

"He stayed behind to protect the workers from the bandits that had been let loose. After a nasty fight with them, the mining site established itself as a real town and the residents living within took up the name of Erikeep."

"Having a history lesson is all well and good, but I'm more interested in the recent past," he pointed out. "Namely, yours."

She let out an aggravated breath.

"I'm not really sure what you're looking for."

"Good heavens, woman, have you never bothered to get to know someone before? Do small talk? Seriously. What did you do growing up? Do you have hobbies? Or is working all you do?" He gestured at the file beside her in frustration. "C'mon, sweet cheeks, you gotta meet me halfway here."

Nadie sighed and rubbed her eyes, thinking.

"What really do I have to tell you? I honestly am pretty boring. I was learning how to handle guns when I was four or five. We have a former Dahl scientist who educated me, taught me reading, writing, mathematics, all of that. I learned the basics of home care and domestic crafts as a necessity. Seriously, you think I'm bad about working all the time? My father is far and away worse. I had to learn to cook as a requirement for survival; otherwise, neither of us would have eaten."

"Aah, now I see why you think men who cook are sexy," he observed. She chuckled.

"Well, that's not my _only_ reason. Um, what else? I'm not much for going out to bars or nightclubs or the like. I rarely drink, and honestly, most of that has been in these sessions. My two coworkers are pretty much the only friends I have in Opportunity—that sounds sadder than it is. I just haven't cared enough to make new friends here." She crinkled her nose in thought. "I ran the tours back at home. That was done on a volunteer basis, not paid."

"Tours? Why would a mining town have tours?"

"Erikeep has a series of Eridian ruins right beside it. It's half the reason why the site was established there."

"Really?" Handsome Jack tipped his head to the side, attention fixed on her. She waved a soothing hand at him.

"Not as cool as you might think. It was picked over by bandits and treasure hunters years ago. But once Pandora really got its name on the universal map, people wanted to come see these ancient ruins and get the Pandoran experience without getting their feet dirty. So we did tours and the like. It certainly wasn't enough to solely support the town, but it helped." She paused and thought for a few moments. "Uh, let's see… Oh! I do free climbing as a hobby! Well, did. Haven't done it since I moved here."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he interrupted. "You tell me you're boring, that I won't be interested, and then you go and tell me you free climb as a hobby? That's a damn exciting hobby. How did a woman who professes to be dull end up doing that?"

She chuckled a little and shrugged, giving off an air of embarrassment.

"Our town is situated right next to a large crescent moon shaped canyon. The ruins are out in them. One day, when I was playing by the canyon edge, I slipped and fell down the side."

"Wow."

"I managed to catch myself on an outcropping about halfway down, but my options after that were continue down the fast way or climb back up the long way."

"You're one of those persistent types. You chose the long way up, didn't you?"

"You bet. And got thoroughly addicted to the adrenaline rush of it. Besides, if I showed up at the elevator asking for a trip up, there would have been questions, and then my dad would have been contacted, and it would have gone poorly for me."

When he continued to stare at her expectantly, she smiled in something that was half regret and half pride.

"I was supposed to be at lessons… I had decided to skip out on them that day."

He leaned back, grinning.

"See? There _is_ a personality hidden under that hard working exterior. If you know how to play hooky, you're obviously not a lost cause."

She laughed.

"I haven't done it in a very long time."

"Hm, clearly you should revisit the process." He reached forward and caught her hand, bringing it up so he could brush his lips across her fingers. "Play hooky with me," he purred, his tone low and suggestive. "We wouldn't want you to forget how to have fun. You're far too beautiful for that."

Normally, the open flattery would just prompt an eye roll or a sigh from the gunsmith, but the warmth of his hand on hers and the sensation of his breath across her skin were doing all sorts of things to scatter her concentration.

"It wouldn't…" She swallowed once to try and get ahold of herself and attempted to speak again. "It wouldn't exactly be playing hooky… It's not like we have meetings or a workday ahead of us. It is the weekend."

"Trust me, babe," he replied easily, still refusing to release her hand, "board meetings don't respect weekends. And you'd be playing hooky from your normal life. You definitely need a break from it." He smiled as he enjoyed watching her resolve waiver.

"I do not," she protested, but the surety in her voice sounded weak even to her.

"Sure you don't." He turned her hand so her palm was facing him and he leaned passed it to scrape his teeth across the inside of her wrist lightly. She shuddered.

"Stay with me, babe," he entreated softly, his words spoken in a low, intimate rumble. Nadie gulped down a breath of air to answer. She wasn't sure what she was about to say, but the soft chime letting them know the hour was up saved her from having to find out. She jolted in surprise while he shot the clock a dirty look.

"Babe…" he began as she slowly pulled her hand away from him. The word was as much demand as it was plea.

"I… should probably get going," she stated, making sure she enunciated each word carefully so she didn't stutter. She stood, gathering up her file.

"Sweet cheeks, c'mon. Stay with me." He leaned back in his seat, giving her a teasing smile. "You know you want to."

Out of the chair and her hand free of his, some of the intimacy that had been keeping her off kilter lost its hold. She tried out a playful grin and found it came on command.

"Whether I want to or not is irrelevant. I don't want to pay the overtime cost." She winked at him. He made a noise of mock pain, placing a hand to his chest like she had wounded him.

"Are you saying I'm not worth it? You'll break my heart!"

"I'm not saying that." A bought of mischievousness struck her and she leaned into him until her face was mere inches from his. "I'm saying you haven't convinced me you're worth it yet."

Giggles stole out of her at his flabbergasted expression and she turned on her heel and headed to the door, not wanting to give him the opportunity to retort and steal the triumph of stunning him into silence. She had just stepped out into the hall when she heard his protest of, "Babe!" Nadie tipped her head back into the room and blew him a kiss.

"See you next week, sweetheart!"

Then, she shut the door quickly behind her to the sound of his objections. Heart pounding, the gunsmith only got a few paces down the hall before the elation at catching him off guard wore off and the reality of her flirtations sank in.

"What is wrong with me?" she demanded of herself breathlessly.

/

/

"Haven't convinced her?!" Handsome Jack repeated incredulously, stalking back and forth in Rob's office. "What is wrong with that woman? Does she want a gold-embossed invitation?!"

Rob stayed very quiet, watching Hyperion's president pace restlessly. If this whole situation wasn't so crucial to his future, he might have found amusement in how twisted up over this girl his boss was getting.

"Sir, if I may?" Rob offered carefully. Handsome Jack froze and looked at him, his expression dangerously intent.

"You have a thought you'd like to share, Ryan?"

Rob schooled himself as best he could to keep his face and tone gently helpful and unchallenging.

"My mother once told me a man chases a woman until she catches him."

Handsome Jack snorted, but Rob continued quickly before Hyperion's president could interject.

"It's clear this girl's enjoying her time with you, sir. She had a favorite prior to all of this and when we changed actors on her, she boycotted our establishment. She clearly knows she has your attention. She's very obviously enjoying the chase."

Handsome Jack studied him silently for a moment, and Rob fought to not fidget under his boss' even gaze. Then, the president nodded thoughtfully and smirked.

"Until she catches him, huh? Well then, we'd better set the right trap. Listen up, Ryan, this is what you're going to have done by next week…"


	8. Chapter 07

Harolt and Lucille walked slowly together, arm in arm.

"What do you want to do tonight?" the brown haired man asked his companion. Lucille looked up at him and gave him a toothy grin in answer.

" _Before_ bedtime," he clarified with a laugh. "We do need to have dinner and the like first."

"Psh." She waved a dismissive hand. "We can both eat behind closed doors."

Harolt chortled and bumped her shoulder with his affectionately. Lucille giggled and clung tighter to his arm.

Suddenly, Harolt's Echo gave a soft, demanding trill. He tapped it to bring up his HUD and see who was interrupting his date.

Azrae.

Beside him, his red headed lover gave him an unsure smile.

"Work calling? I understand if you need to take a raincheck on tonight." She patted his arm, but he could see the disappointment on her face as she tried to hide it.

"Nah." He selected the ignore option and spun her into his embrace, tucking her close. "Work can wait."

A delighted grin broke out across Lucille's face as he leaned down and kissed her deeply.

From within the sanctity of their hideout, Azrae frowned irritably when her call went unanswered.

/

/

"Alexander," Rueben stated flatly.

"Rueben," Alexander replied cheerily. The gun designer's manager sighed, tapping a pen on the document in front of him.

"It's that time, Alexander," Rueben informed him.

"Time to redesign our workstations?" Alexander asked excitedly. "You came to the right man! Cause let me tell you, those things are as unsightly as they are non-ergonomic. I've already got some new ideas for colors and patterns that will be really warm and welcoming and—"

"It's time for reviews, Alexander," Rueben cut in.

"Oh." Alexander pouted in disappointment.

"As per the norm, I went ahead and did a cursory run through of the review," Rueben continued, "and frankly, Alexander, I'm not impressed with your scoring."

"Oh?" Alexander leaned forward curiously, not sounding the least bit concerned. "Do tell!"

"Your quality of work, when you do turn it in, is fantastic, but more often than not, Lucille or Nadalie turns in their own work with yours included. You slack off on your job duties, you follow instructions to the bare letter, you never follow through with your tasks, and you meet deadlines at the very last possible minute. The only area you scored well in was customer service, and we don't care about that in the lab."

"Oh, you absolutely need customer service in the lab! After all, when something goes wrong, they're going to want to talk to someone in a white lab coat. Which is super drab, by the by. Can we change the color?"

Alexander waited just long enough for Rueben to take a breath to start to answer before he continued.

"As for your other issues, well, that's just because you don't understand what my actual job duties are."

"I'm sorry," Rueben protested, sounding more confused than apologetic. "What? I'm your boss. I absolutely understand your essential job functions. You're a gun designer who rarely, if ever, designs guns."

Alexander drew in his breath through his teeth, making a hissing sound.

"See, Rueben, that's where you're wrong."

Rueben blinked at his employee blankly.

"What?"

"You remember how when the three of us first met in that lab down there, you were so mad about Nadie joining the team that you told us to figure our own assignment out, and that you didn't care anymore?"

"Yes…" the manager agreed cautiously.

"Well, we did that."

"Yes, you did. Lucille took on mod design, Nadalie handled construction, and you decided on gun design."

"Yeah, see, Rueben, that's the thing. Those titles were really only to make you happy." Alexander folded his hands in his lap and leaned back in his chair, his expression pleasant, but gaze locked with the other man's. "Between Lucille's intimate understanding of all things mod related, and Nadie's inability to not put her hands on any project that she arbitrarily labels 'interesting,' you don't actually need me to be a gun designer. I am, in reality, a catalyst, a vessel constructed to bring out the best in your employees."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Rueben demanded, perplexed not only by Alexander's defense of himself, but also by the deadly serious tone in the gun designer's voice.

"I'm a wrangler, Rueben. I play silly to keep morale up, I push against the rules to keep Lucille and Nadie within them and following them so they keep me in line, and I make sure that by slacking off, they push themselves to the limits of their abilities." Alexander leaned forward and tapped the review. "As much as you say I push things to the last minute, the fact of the matter is that I've never missed one deadline, not once. I am always aware of my timelines, and when Nadie and Luci are too overwhelmed to be pushed any further, I take the excess off them and keep them laughing and happy. In short, I'm not a gun designer. I'm a morale officer. I'm the warden of the lab. I keep everything in working order and make sure it doesn't blow apart."

The manager just sat and stared at the abnormally somber and businesslike man across from him, no longer sure he knew his employee.

"How the… I can't tell this to my boss," Rueben finally sighed.

"You could tell him I'm the office mascot," Alexander offered helpfully, the chipper personality immediately bubbling around the blonde haired man once more. Rueben just studied him for a long moment, no longer fooled by the act. Then, he took up his pen and went down the review, marking the "meets expectations" in every category. Alexander beamed.

"Was that so hard?"

"Get out of my office, Alexander."

"Yes, sir."

/

/

"So?" Rob asked hopelessly as his two architects and room designers came in.

"It was a bit of a rush job, but we got it done," one of them, a swarthy fellow named Davon, replied. "Seriously, that was a huge list of demands to get done in a week."

"Is it finished?" Rob demanded.

"Yes."

"Then I don't care."

"Hey, Rob," the other, a fair man named Otto, piped up. "Since we did all this work last minute, can we stay to watch? We're sorta curious about why this woman would want all these changes done on such short notice. She must be quite the high roller to get this type of treatment."

Rob stared hard at them for a moment and then sighed. He hadn't told them who had ordered the changes; he had just handed them the list and sent them on the way. What assumptions they had come to were their own to keep. He wasn't going to correct them.

"Sure. Stay. I'm sure if things don't go according to plan, someone's going to want to talk to you."

"Neat!" Otto exclaimed. He nodded to his partner who stepped back out the door and returned a moment later with two chairs and a bowl of popcorn. Rueben frowned.

"Came prepared, didn't you?

"We were curious," Davon responded. "If you hadn't let us, we were just going to hack into the feed anyway."

"Aaah, I didn't hear that, I didn't hear that!" Rob protested emphatically, waving his hands as if to ward off an attack. He turned away from the two designers and brought up the live feed on his computer screen. No one was currently in the room.

"There you go. Make yourself comfortable."

"What? You're leaving, Rob? I thought you usually kept an eye on these meetings. What happened to all that paranoia about the actors being up to snuff?"

"I don't want to see my death coming before it hits," Rob answered morosely. Davon patted him on the back.

"This woman can't be that scary. Stay with us! We can make fun of them like we used to do in the old days back when the Hero Hour was just getting started."

"Believe me, Davon, there's nothing funny about this meeting tonight."

"Goodness, you've lost your sense of humor since the divorce," Otto observed. Rob shot him an angry look.

"Watch it."

"Sorry, sorry," the pale skinned man soothed quickly. "Was just teasing."

Rob's lips thinned as he stared at him for a long moment before he sighed once more and set himself up in his chair in the corner, leaving the two architects the full view of the recreated room on the screen. Otto and Davon settled into their chairs to watch the show unfold.

"Sure you don't want to come closer?" Davon prompted. "We'll share our popcorn."

"No, thank you."

"Your loss."

Meanwhile, Nadie had arrived at the Hero Hour not quite sure what to expect from the night. The last two weeks had not gone even close to plan and if she knew anything about the man she was here to see, tonight would be no different. Considering the flirtation and effect he had on her, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to face him at all, but the idea of not showing up as scheduled felt too much like running away for the prideful Pandoran girl. She took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and headed in.

"Good evening, Leanne!" Nadie hailed. The receptionist jolted and turned to regard the gunsmith.

"Oh, hello, Miss Tirrell! Welcome back!"

Nadie eyed the matronly woman.

"Leanne, is everything all right?"

"Oh! Yes, yes, everything's fine." She beamed happily at the green haired woman. When Nadie continued to stare at her, Leanne's defenses crumbled.

"Ok, ok. It's Rob. I'm worried about him."

"Your manager?" Nadie drew closer to her desk, pitching her voice low. There was no one in the waiting area, but there was no need to take chances.

"Yeah… He's been really morose recently and he's been tucking up in his office with a bottle of whiskey for the last couple of weeks. I even called HR to try and get an intervention or see what they could do to help, and they told me there was nothing they can do! Isn't stepping in what HR's supposed to do?"

Nadie nodded a little.

"Among other things. What do you think it is?"

"I dunno," Leanne admitted. "I've been guessing it's trouble at home, but he won't tell me anything. The only thing he says is he'll be happy when this is all over, whatever that might mean."

"I don't know what to tell you, Leanne. I'm afraid I don't have any insider knowledge."

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to, Miss Tirrell. But you've been here so much, you're family now. So you should be in the know."

"Awww, why thank you! You know you can count on me if you need help with something."

"Friends make the world go round!" Leanne replied easily. "And speaking of friends, I bet you're antsy to meet yours." She handed over a key. Nadie took it and grinned.

"Friends and money!"

Leanne laughed.

"Yes indeed. See you in about an hour, Miss Tirrell."

Nadie headed into the back and toward the room she had spent more time in than she had ever expected to. When Alexander had dragged her to this event, she had figured she would bite her lip, get through it, and then never talk about it again. She had never thought she would find something that would catch her interest.

Then there were the last two weeks… She didn't know who this Handsome Jack double was, and she didn't know why he affected her so, but something about him kept her coming back for more even when she knew it was far wiser to run. The prior actor she had been visiting with had caught her attention. This man had captured her fascination.

And her libido, if she was honest with herself.

She unlocked the door to the room she was always in, stepped inside, and immediately froze, looking around her with an astonished gaze.

The room had been completely overhauled. One wall had been knocked out so that the neighboring room could be added to the floorplan, and one of the comfy chairs had been replaced by a plush-looking loveseat. A fireplace had been installed against one wall, and while no fire crackled in it currently, it looked like it was meant to host a cheery blaze. Tucked toward the back was a circular bed draped in silken sheets and soft blankets that were just begging to have fingers woven in. Even the small table that typically held refreshments had been touched, as it now boasted a wine bottle she wouldn't even hazard a guess at the cost of.

"Sweet cheeks!" Handsome Jack greeted as he came into the room. Nadie didn't think she had ever heard someone sound so pleased with themselves.

"Uh… You know I didn't check that box, right?" she questioned, looking around the room worriedly.

"Oh, I know, babe," he responded easily. "I did."

She turned to stare at him in bewilderment for a moment.

"I'm… I'm pretty sure that's not how this works," she protested weakly. He chuckled.

"It does when you're the president of the company. Now," he continued, giving her a wicked grin, "are you going to come in, or are you going to run for the hills?"

She frowned at the implication.

"I'm not going to run."

"Good. I didn't feel like chasing you down the hall." He went to the table, popped the cork on the wine bottle, and poured two glasses. Once filled, he handed one to her.

"Drink. Relax. I promise I won't bite. Unless you ask nicely," he added. A smirk quirked her lips as she took the offered wine glass.

"Only if I ask?" she inquired, trying, and failing, to keep the amusement off her face. He paused to think about it for a moment before he shrugged and smiled innocently.

"Well, ask, beg, scream… I'll take a request from you in any format, really."

She couldn't help it—she started chuckling.

"Good to know I don't have to stay level-headed if I don't want to."

"Sweet cheeks," he purred, taking her free hand and tugging her close, "I don't want you thinking straight for the rest of the night."

A squeak escaped her as she found herself pulled up against him, his face a scant few inches from hers.

"I do have this tendency to try and be analytical or sensible about almost everything," she informed him as she gently moved back, putting some breathing room between them once more. Handsome Jack gave her a sidelong smirk as he let her retreat.

"You don't say… I'd never have noticed."

She tried to frown, an effort spoiled by the grin that wouldn't go away and pointed a finger at him.

"There's no need to be sarcastic with me, mister. It's already been well-established that I'm one of those hard-working, never takes any risks kind of people."

His brows rose.

"You say that, and yet you've put your finger in the face of the president of Hyperion," he observed dryly in amusement. They stared at each other, then looked down at the offending digit. She dropped her hand grudgingly.

"Foo. Fine. Be that way."

"No, no," he retorted, giving her a grin full of teeth. "Put it back. Be my guest. See what happens."

"Naaah, I don't think I'm feeling that adventurous," she sniffed teasingly. She plopped down in the loveseat and smiled brightly up at him. He shook his head in response.

"Just don't let that be the motto for the evening, babe. I've got so much planned."

"So much?" she repeated, gaze going to the bed. He followed her look and laughed.

"I'm not going to just drag you to bed immediately, sweet cheeks. Unless you want it that way." His grin promised a litany of carnal delights. She giggled, but shook her head.

"No, I'm not that kind of girl. And I'm not sorry about it." She tipped her nose up in mock haughtiness, daring him to condemn her for it. His grin softened, but he chuckled.

"You've been a fight since the beginning, babe. I'd be disappointed if you made it easy now."

"If there's one thing I'll never be," she replied, "it's easy."

"Well, then. Let the challenge begin." He held his hands up and clapped them twice, each strike a small burst of sound in the following quiet of the room. Music spiraled up into existence and the lights of the room dimmed, creating a soft and intimate atmosphere.

"There we… go?" he began, but the statement finished as a question as the lights swelled back up to full brightness. He looked up at them and scowled. As if in response to the expression of irritation, the lights dimmed back down again.

"That's better," he said with a nod, a gesture cut short when the lighting once more bloomed back to full. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"What the hell?"

Nadie couldn't help the quiet giggles that struck her at his peeved tone.

"At least the music is behaving," she offered as the lights dimmed again.

In his office, Rob turned to stare pointedly at Otto and Davon.

"I thought you said the room was finished."

"I said it was a rush job," Davon retorted. "Ok, so the lighting is having some hiccups. No big deal. The girl seems more amused than angry."

Rob rubbed one of his temples.

"That's not the problem here…"

"A'ight, a'ight, enough of that," Handsome Jack grumbled. He clapped his hands twice and the lighting stopped its slow pulses and the music went silent. Nadie opened her mouth to say something, but he held up one finger.

"Hold that thought, babe."

He all but stalked over to the light switch, pushed the knob down to manually dim the lights, and then went to the player to turn it back on. The soft music filtered back into the room once more. He studied the room for a moment, as if daring anything to misbehave. The music kept crooning gently and the lights remained in their dim state.

"There," he said, nodding decisively. "It may be the old fashioned way to do it, but it works."

"Except you're missing something," Nadie pointed out. When he regarded her quizzically, she asked, "Where are the candles? I mean, if we're talking legitimately old fashioned…"

He let a mock sigh, lacing it with as much exasperation as he could manage.

"My goodness, but you're demanding."

She laughed brightly and leaned back in the loveseat, settling herself in comfortably.

"Hey, I'm not the one futzing with the lighting to get it just right," she retorted, grinning.

"Everything has to be perfect," he replied primly. "And if it isn't perfect, someone's getting shot out of a canon at the Warrior."

In his office, Rob began to sweat. The architects chuckled in amusement.

"This guy is good," Otto remarked. "He's got the personality down perfectly. Is that Greg? He was always the best."

"No," Rob replied wearily. "That isn't Greg."

"Well, kudos on finding this guy. He's perfect!"

The Hero Hour's manager just groaned.

"Now, babe, I know you think men who cook are sexy, but you clearly haven't heard the sensual sound of the saxophone." He reached down to the arm of the remaining comfy chair and pressed something on the armrest. A soft click sounded, just barely audible over the music, and he stood, holding his hand out expectantly. A moment of silence followed, and then there was an odd hiss before fire burst into vibrant life in the fireplace, lashing forth from the hearth for a heartbeat before settling back in its confines.

"The hell?!" Handsome Jack demanded crossly. Nadie recoiled in surprise and then uncurled, laughing.

"Well, yes, _that_ definitely will get me hot and bothered!"

He turned from regarding the blaze like it was personally responsible for everything going wrong and gave her a bitterly amused smirk.

"Fire's what gets you going, huh? You sure you aren't the child of a rocket launcher?"

She grinned.

"Do I look like I have any hard edges on me?"

She followed the question with a gesture at the length of her body. The light flirtation and open invitation to enjoy the view brought a smile to his face, for the moment chasing away the anger that had been starting to twist his expression.

"You certainly _look_ all curves, sweet cheeks, but I think I'd need to put them to the test." He took two long steps to stand by the bed before turning toward her smoothly, holding a hand out in invitation.

"I know you've been dying to come try out the sheets," he offered teasingly. She bit her lip, trying to fight off a grin.

"I have not."

"Oh, babe, don't lie to me. You've been eyeing them ever since you came into the room. I promise, they won't disappoint." As if to make a point, he stomped his foot by the side of the bed. She quirked a brow when the moment stretched for longer than it should, and then his face collapsed into sheer frustration.

"Can those assholes not get anything right?!"

Nadie took a breath to answer, and then paused, cocking her head to the side.

"Do you hear that?"

Handsome Jack looked at her irritably.

"Hear what?"

Before she could answer, a low whirring whine sounded, and then part of the wall slid aside to allow a metallic object to jettison at high speed out and slam into the seat he had been beside earlier. The saxophone hit the chair with such force that the seat flipped back and over.

"Good heavens," Nadie whistled. "I'm glad you weren't standing there."

Whatever humor or intent he had started with, it was all forgotten in the rage that took Hyperion's president.

"That's it," he said, each word enunciated calmly, but Nadie could see the violence strung tight in his form. "They are all going out of the canon."

In his office, Rob whimpered. Davon and Otto, meanwhile, were laughing uproariously.

"I was wondering if we got the activation list mixed up," Davon observed, unable to restrain his chortles.

"Damn, Davon, you wired that sax to come out like a shotput," Otto responded, wiping tears out of his eyes.

"Yeah, I may have gone a bit overboard on the velocity…"

"You guys have no idea what you've just done to yourselves," Rob informed them gloomily.

"Oh, that is such an angry face," Nadie cooed gently. She unfurled from the loveseat and crossed the distance to him, catching his hand before settling down on the bed. A light tug was all he needed before he grudgingly sat down beside her.

"This was supposed to go perfectly," he growled. "This was supposed to be romantic and sweep you off your feet."

"Don't fuss," she soothed, rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand. "This has been a comedy of errors, which has been hilarious."

He rolled his gaze toward her, not looking the slightest bit mollified.

"Look, cards on the table. You got my complete attention by being able to keep up with me, but it's your sense of humor that kept me coming back. If all this," and she gestured to the room, "had gone according to plan, I probably would have run by now. So, all in all, it's probably… just… as… Good heavens, these sheets are amazing!" She looked down at the bed, running her free hand across the silk, completely distracted from what she had been saying.

"I told you," he said idly, the corner of his lip curling upward slightly.

"Wow…" She released his hand and ran both palms across the blankets. "These are nice."

Her astonishment made him smile.

"Well, if you're going to spend an extended period of time in bed, you might as well be comfortable," he told her, her wonder at simple luxuries distracting him from the frustrations of the room's failures. "I had a hunch you might appreciate these." He patted the bed twice. At the second pat, there was a soft whir of machinery, a few clicks followed by a low hum, and then the bed began slowly turning to their left. Both of them blinked in surprise and then Nadie stared down at the bed while Handsome Jack just looked skyward.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

The gunsmith burst into laughter. He patted the bed once, twice, and then thrice, trying to get it to stop moving. The only reaction he got was at two raps, which caused the bed to start spinning lazily the other way.

"Figures. Fucking figures."

Nadie couldn't help herself; she dropped back on the bed, giggling uncontrollably. He rubbed a hand over his face.

"I have a couple of designers I need to murder," he stated, a hard edge in his voice. The gunsmith gulped down a breath to stifle her laughter, recognizing the vehemence in his threat.

"Don't be angry," she assuaged, pushing herself upright again.

"Oh no, babe, you aren't talking me out of it this time," he growled. "Everyone responsible for this travesty is going to die."

"It's not all bad," she assured him, patting his arm. "I mean, I'm still here and nothing blew up catastrophically and… How the hell _do_ you stop this bed?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, sweet cheeks."

"That's it." He watched as she rolled over and crawled toward the side of the bed that was currently closest to the wall before bending over it, hunting for her prize. After a moment and then a cry of triumph, she tugged the bed's power cord out of its socket. The bed immediately ceased its slow rotation.

"There we go." She sat back up and beamed at him. "Taken care of."

It was clear he was still fuming, but a smirk was tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I didn't necessarily want it to stop."

Nadie huffed and frowned. "What? Hell. Do you want me to plug it back in? Really?"

"If it gives you an excuse to lean over the bed so I get to watch your ass again, sure."

A bought of laughter surprised her and she dropped the cord off the side of the bed.

"Nice try, Jack."

He grinned, the dark mood spoiled by the flirtation. "Can't blame a guy for enjoying the finer sights of life, can you?"

She pointed at him and chuckled. "Ah, there it is! That's your real smile, isn't it?" She crawled back over to sit beside him again. "I like it."

His brows crooked up in surprise before that grin softened into something more satisfied.

"I knew you were worth the trouble."

Before she could respond, he slid a hand around the back of her head and tugged her close to kiss her.

In more private moments when she allowed her mind to wander to trivialities or more selfish thoughts, she had wondered what it might be like to be kissed by the man who perpetually wore his mask.

As it turned out, it wasn't unpleasant.

It was definitely not what she had expected, and the mask had a more firm texture than human skin might have, but it responded flawlessly to its wearer's desires. His hand tightened in her hair, pulling her closer to him, and she melted into the kiss. Her fingers tangled in his shirt as he kissed her deeply, taking long moments to indulge in the contact. A gasp escaped her when he pulled away as she tried to get a breath in and she was granted only a few heartbeats' reprieve before he scooped her up and pulled her against him more fully to reclaim her lips.

She wasn't sure how much time passed, but when he finally released her, she found herself in his lap, her thighs on either side of his hips, his hands cupping her ass.

"My goodness…" she managed out, trying to slow her thundering heart. Her forehead dropped to hit his shoulder and she felt more than heard the chuckle that rumbled through him.

"I know, babe. It's a consequence of being me. Women just go weak in the knees at the sight of me."

She laughed and pushed herself up to meet his gaze.

"It's that whole 'man of wealth and power' thing. Ah!" A squeak escaped her as his hands slid up under her shirt to cup her breasts.

"That was a good sound, yes?" he inquired as he sat up and nipped her lower lip.

"Hoo… You certainly are quick to take what you want, aren't you?" she replied, chuckling breathlessly.

"What can I say?" That malicious grin was back. "I'm used to getting what I want. I am Handsome Jack, after all."

She smiled and shook her head. "You don't have to keep telling me that, you know. I know you're not Handsome Jack."

"Oh, you misunderstand me, babe. I'm not one of these paltry actors attempting to grasp at the awe-inspiring charisma that is me. I am _the_ Handsome Jack."

Nadie almost laughed at how preposterous the idea was, but she caught herself at the last moment. It made far too much sense, actually. From his flippant disregard of her instructions about former conversations to the magnitude and meaning of the room they were currently in, it was almost impossible to not believe the sincerity in his voice and the seriousness on his face. It was as if someone had blatantly thrown a screen in front of her vision with his name and title, establishing beyond any doubt who he was.

Otto and Davon, still watching the live feed, coughed on their popcorn and turned slowly to look at the Hero Hour manager.

"Is… is he really?" Davon asked.

Rob only nodded, still wearing an expression that bespoke his impending doom.

"Oh. Um," Otto stammered. "Meet you in Lynchwood?" he asked, turning to the first, only to see the seat was already empty.

"Good luck!" Davon called as he hit the door.

"Bye, Rob. Hope to see you again." Then Otto was out of the room.

Rob sighed deeply and took one of their chairs to continue watching the scene that was going to tell him if he needed to finish writing his will or not.

"You…" Nadie started and had to stop long enough to form some collection of words to make into a sentence. "Oh. What are you doing here? With me?"

"I wanted to meet my girlfriend."

"I'm sorry. What?"

He chuckled. "Oh right, you aren't up on the background of this endeavor. The Hour manager… Ryan or Randall or whatever…"

"Rob?" she supplied.

"Sure, something like that. Anyway, he is the one who brought you to my attention. Apparently you were being selective about whose company you spent time in, so I just offered my services to make sure your needs were met."

"Uh-huh," she replied slowly, smirking. "You were worried about my satisfaction." Her tone made it very clear how much she believed it. He shrugged a shoulder in acknowledgement and grinned impishly.

"Well, that and I had been having a pretty crappy month and thought it might be fun to panic an employee and meddle in the affairs of a beautiful woman."

She shook her head.

"No wonder Rob's been drinking. Have you been tormenting him since the beginning?"

"Not tormenting, babe," Handsome Jack protested. "Keeping him on his toes. And frankly, after his involvement in this fiasco, he might be meeting the Warrior at high speeds." He frowned irritably.

In his office, Rob went back to writing.

"Oh, don't take it out on poor Rob," she entreated gently. "Nothing he did was malicious… My guess is you've already given him more than his fair share of gray hairs."

"Mm. Ask me if I care, pumpkin." He shifted his grip on her and tugged her up closer in his lap.

"Buuuut I guess do have him to thank for finding you in my embrace right now. I suppose I'll let him off easy. Just because you asked nicely."

Rob froze upon hearing those words and a month's worth of fear, stress, and impending doom just slipped away from him as well as all muscle control and consciousness as he fainted. He would wake up an hour later with a crick in his neck and a desire to call his ex just to be pleasant and wish him well.

"Aww, why thank you." Nadie leaned down and kissed him.

Her intent had been to make it a quick peck, something simple and noncommittal. That plan was abandoned almost immediately after contact—one of his hands came up and tangled in her hair, keeping her pressed to him, and her own fingers tugged at his shirt, impatiently expressing her desire for attention. She felt his tongue brush across her lips and she welcomed him in, indulging in his taste, only vaguely aware of a rumbling growl echoing between them. It took her a long moment to realize it was emanating from her throat.

"But mark my words, babe," he murmured as he pulled away, sounding a little breathless, "the designers responsible for the travesty that is this room are on my list. No amount of your vouching is going to protect them."

"Oh, you go right ahead," she chuckled lowly, fingers sliding under his jacket. "I am fully for holding responsible parties to their actions."

"Good. We share that in common." He caught her lips with his once more, slid his other arm around her waist, and flipped them both over so that she was stretched out across the bed, his length tucked comfortably against her. Almost instinctively, she wrapped a leg over his hips, trapping him in his place above her. He released her lips so that he could nip lightly down her jaw and up to her ear. A hungry moan stole from her as she felt his teeth tug on her earlobe.

Abruptly, the clock by the door gave off its infernal chime, reminding both parties of the hour. Handsome Jack let out a low snarl at the interruption while she whimpered in frustration. He responded almost immediately to her sound of need, kissing her deeply, lingering over the taste of her and the heat of her body.

"Still don't think I'm worth the overtime?" he purred softly, hands sneaking across her body.

"Did I say that?" she gasped, desperately trying to summon up some amount of humor so that she could try to get ahold of a situation that was rapidly spinning out of control.

"I don't remember saying that."

"Well, that's good," he chuckled, "because I think we're about to use an awful lot of it." He tangled his fingers in the hem of her shirt, about ready to divest her of it.

Then, his Echo gave off a demanding trill. He froze above her before letting out a slow hiss.

"This had better be important." He released his grip on her clothing and tapped his Echo to open the connection.

"Yes?" The one word was short, to the point, and edged with more than a hint of violence. Nadie could hear a soft male voice come through, though she couldn't quite make out all the words.

"Seriously?" Handsome Jack responded to the murmur irritably. There was some assuagement that came from the other end and Hyperion's president sighed, the sound every bit the thwarted man.

"Ok. I'll get there when I get there." He cut off the call.

"You have to go?" she asked unhappily.

"Sometimes it's great being the king, babe, and sometimes it sucks," he replied. "I have to go."

"Awww."

"Believe me, I would not be leaving if I had any other options. However, I have a rep from Maliwan who's arrived prematurely and good ol' Jimmy has kept him as busy for as long as he can. So. Next week. How about dinner? Let's make it a real date. One you don't have to pay for, even."

She studied him for a moment, trying to gage if he was being serious, and then she nodded.

"That would be nice. The date, I mean. I don't care as much about the money."

"Oh, sweet cheeks," he grinned and kissed her, "we'll have to teach you better than that. Next Friday, meet me at six thirty at L'ange Noir."

He didn't let her answer; he just captured her lips with his once more before pulling away and getting to his feet. He offered a hand to help her stand.

"Next time, babe, I'll make sure there are no interruptions," he assured her. In response, she reached up, got a grip on his hair, and tugged him into one more long kiss.

"You'd better," she stated firmly, her words hurried and breathless. He grinned.

"See you next week, sweetheart."

Then he was out the door, leaving her to mull over what had just happened.

After passing by a curious Leanne who asked her twice if she was all right and a slow walk home, she finally stepped inside and leaned against the door, still not entirely sure how she felt about the last few hours. For the most part, she had never really bothered with men or relationships—it was too much trouble, there were too many consequences, and at the end of the day, she tended to be more than most men could handle. She certainly hadn't expected this one to pursue her this tenaciously, nor had she thought she might respond as strongly to him.

And then there was the fact of who he actually was…

She took a slow breath and let it out through her teeth. The weekly call with her dad could wait a day or two until she had a better idea of what she wanted to do or how she felt about the whole situation.

Then, her Echo gave a cheery tune, interrupting her musing. A frown curled her lips; of course he would call.

"I'm just your favorite soap opera, aren't I?" she questioned without preamble the moment she opened the connection. "I don't think you've every called me with this much regularity."

"Nadalie, I'm just concerned about you," Lawson replied simply.

"So, what you're saying is yes, I'm your favorite soap opera right now."

Lawson sighed. "Nadie…"

"I can see the headline now! _The Young and the Nadalie_! Though I'm currently in negotiation to change the title to _Nadie's in Over Her Head_."

She heard her father let out a slow breath.

"What happened?"

"You know the guy I haven't been able to break? How I can't get him to drop the Handsome Jack persona? Well, as it turns out, it's no surprise I couldn't, as he is _the_ Handsome Jack!"

There was a heartbeat of silence on the other end.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I must have gotten a bit of crazy in my ear. What?"

"Nope, you heard me," she replied, still somewhere between shocked, disbelieving, and a tad grumpy that the world she had been comfortable in had been just turned upside down.

" _The_ Handsome Jack? As in, the Hero of Pandora?"

"The one and only. Well," she added, "presumably. There are an awful lot of people wearing his face running around."

"And you're sure this is the real one?"

"Definitely, positively, and unquestionably."

"Have to emphasize it that much?" he questioned drolly.

"I knew you were going to ask three times," she retorted. "I just cut to the chase."

Lawson sighed deeply, and Nadie could see him rubbing his temple in her mind's eye.

"How exactly did you come to his attention?"

"Apparently the Hero Hour manager sent him some message or other informing him about the issues I was having with the actors. I guess he was bored or curious enough to come check things out. Then, I somehow managed to keep his interest."

She knew her father was shaking his head.

"You two would be nigh unstoppable. So you have Handsome Jack's attention. What does this mean for you?"

Nadie fidgeted for a moment, chewing on her finger.

"It means I have a legitimate date next Friday?"

"Date." It wasn't a question; it was more like a resigned statement of fact. "You end up catching the attention of the Hero of Pandora through an almost unbelievable coincidence, manage to capture his whim and interest, and now you're being courted by him? Are you sure this is some grand accident? Are you sure you didn't inherit your mother's manipulative control of events?"

Nadie rolled her eyes.

"I wish. If I was even half this good at engineering situations, you can bet I'd have gotten a raise months ago. This is a level of complication I would never have sought out willingly."

"And yet, here you are."

There was another moment of silence between the two and then Lawson snorted.

"Well, have a good time. Don't put out until the third date."

"Father!" the gunsmith snapped, but he had already ended the call.


	9. Chapter 08

(Author's Note: For those of you waiting for the storm to hit, just hang in there. Those clouds, they are agatherin'.)

/

/

/

Tanis looked up when the ragtag resistance fighters made their way in. The child demolition expert Tiny Tina flounced in, pockets looking far emptier than they had been when she had left. Behind her was their engineer Azrae, shouting something as she dismissed the soldiers returning from their mission, and hovering close by was the black armored Assassin.

"How did the operation go?" the scientist inquired, turning to address them. "I assume there were not too many complications. I mapped out the location quite thoroughly."

"Oh, everything went well enough," Azrae answered.

"It'll be quite a blast when those tickers tick down!" Tina giggled happily.

"Did you get what you needed?"

Azrae simply held up a bag with odd protrusions on the sides, hard edges that didn't fit comfortably in the soft cloth.

"We had to sneak in the back way, though."

Tanis frowned. "Where was your front man? You can't go in without your face."

The engineer crossed her arms over her chest.

"He hasn't checked in for over a week now."

Tanis frowned.

"Are we sure he's still alive?"

"Positive."

The former Dahl scientist let out a breath through her teeth.

"Zer0? Would you kindly do some reconnaissance? Harolt knows enough to be crippling to our cause if he's discovered."

/

/

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Rueben called. Lucille walked in and plopped down in the seat across from him.

"Sup, boss man?"

"It's review time, Lucille."

The mod designer frowned thoughtfully.

"Oh yeah. It has been about a year, huh? So, what's the damage? Are you firing me?"

"No."

"Drat. How about reassigning me to Helios?"

"Have you finished the cryo mod?"

"Almost…"

"Is it done?"

"No."

"Then no such luck."

"Foo." The red head sighed. "Just as well, I guess. I didn't really want to be reassigned anyway."

Rueben regarded her for a moment.

"I thought you wanted to get off planet."

"I did, but I guess it's not so bad. There are some good things here, and the team is quirky enough to be amusing."

The manager snorted.

"That's an understatement."

"So if you're not firing me, what's the plan, boss man?"

Rueben picked up the review sheet before him and looked it over.

"Frankly, your scoring is decent, Lucille. You're productive, you meet deadlines satisfactorily… The only area you could use improvement in is customer service."

"And we don't care about that in the lab."

"And we don't care about that in the lab," he agreed.

"Ok, then why am I here? You're not firing me, it sounds like we're good. I'm assuming I'll be getting a raise?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, you'll be getting a raise."

"Great! What else is there, then?"

"This is just a formality, Lucille, you know that. I have to meet with you and discuss areas I think you can improve in."

She laughed then.

"You don't need the formalities with us, Rueben. I do my job and get everything done on time. Nadie's the star of the show. And Alexander doesn't do anything."

"Wait. Alexander doesn't work? Ever?"

"Oh, he does when Nadie forces him to… But most of the time he just goofs off. Don't let him pull the wool over your eyes. He barely pulls his weight."

"He doesn't help out at all?"

"Well," Lucille mused slowly, "I guess he brings us goodies, and he is fun to hang out with, but dear heavens, don't tell him I said that. I don't need him preening for the next week. But don't let him fool you—Nadie and I could do his job."

Rueben studied his employee for a moment, running over the events of his review with Alexander in his head. Lucille clearly didn't think Alexander assisted terribly much in the lab, but the way Alexander had stated it, the team would fall apart without him. That manipulative gun designer had worked one over on someone, but Rueben wasn't one hundred percent sure who had been given the mask and who had been given the man.

Eventually he let out a breath.

"Ok, Lucille, sign here and you're free to go."

"Awesome. I was about to be late for my date." She hastily scrawled her signature and left the room. Rueben placed the review on his "done" pile on top of Alexander's and then regarded the last blank one he had yet to fill out. He had been putting off Nadie's for almost two weeks now. It wasn't that he was afraid of a confrontation or anything—in fact, Nadie had scored highest in all the areas of his employees. It was more to do with Rueben's mixed feelings regarding the young woman. Truth be told, she terrified him. She was fantastic at her job, his supervisor adored her, and her capabilities far outreached her job requirements. He knew it was just a matter of time before she had his job, and he had no idea when that axe was coming.

He shoved the blank review aside. He could do it next week.

/

/

It was Friday and Nadie was trying very, very hard to focus on her work. That had been more difficult than she had anticipated at first, until they made a breakthrough with the cryo mod. By late afternoon, the trio had their heads together, excitedly going back and forth with changes and alterations to the design and the coding. Even Rueben hovered nearby, spending an unprecedented amount of time in the lab, unwillingly swept up in the rampant excitement of the team.

Their first digitation attempt resulted in the gun icing over upon construction, the second became as brittle as glass, but before they made a third attempt, Lucille halted them.

"Hang on, hang on. Give me the prototype." She quickly started altering the mod. Nadie and Alexander watched her hands as they deftly maneuvered, waiting on baited breath.

"What is she doing?" Rueben demanded. Nadie waived a hushing hand at him.

"You're seeing a master at work."

"It's a woman's intuition in action," Alexander added. "We miss out on this."

A few moments crept by, and then Lucille resealed everything and held it out.

"Try it again."

Nadie took the altered gun mod, scanned it into the system, and input the request for a weapon baring the cryo mod. The blue light played across the workstation and the system generated a pistol with a light cerulean and white banding around the base of the gun. There was a moment of tense silence, and when the pistol didn't immediately disintegrate or explode, Nadie picked it up.

"So?" Lucille questioned.

"Well, it's cool to the touch, but not uncomfortably so," the gunsmith replied, hefting the firearm, getting a feel for it. She turned, aimed the gun at the target against the far wall, and fired twice. The first impact produced a puff of snow, but at the second blow, ice lashed out across the target, cracking and snapping as it consumed the surface of the target.

There was a long moment of silence, heavy with astonishment, amazement, and glee.

"Nadie…" Lucille breathed.

The green haired woman frowned thoughtfully and proceeded to empty the clip, pulling the trigger methodically until it gave out a defeated click, indicating it was exhausted. The foursome stared at the blanket of ice that had crawled over the target and was slowly creeping up the wall.

Alexander squealed abruptly.

"We did it!"

Lucille laughed delightedly and Rueben let out a long, relieved sigh, dropping down into a nearby seat.

"We got it!" the red head howled happily.

Nadie let the gun fall to her side, considering the situation. Before she allowed herself the joy of a job well done, she abruptly ejected the spent clip, replaced it, and took aim at the target, emptying the gun one more time.

"Ack! What are you doing, Nadie?" Alexander demanded.

The gunsmith nodded in satisfaction as the ice spread and consumed the entirety of the wall.

"I don't leave things to random chance," she replied. She turned to them and finally allowed herself the triumphant smile.

"It's done, guys. We did it!"

The merriment that had been reined in burst forth as hollers and squeals of excitement escaped the team, enthusiastic embraces being given and received.

"We did it! We did it!" Alexander all but chanted. "Celebratory drinks tonight! On the boss!"

"Oh no you don't," Rueben chastised him, sounding more exasperated than irritated.

"Oh foo," the gun designer pouted. "Ok, drinks on your own tab! But let's go have celebratory drinks!"

"That means both of you, Rueben and Nadie," Lucille added. Rueben sighed, but pushed himself to his feet.

"I wouldn't normally go out with my employees due to propriety, but I think this situation allows for some flexibility," their manager acknowledged.

"Great!" Lucille looked over at Nadie. "You're coming too, right?"

Nadie paused as she unhooked the active cryo mod from the pistol.

"Uh, actually, no."

"Nadie!" Lucille grumped. "Are you going to go home and work some more? You really need to get out!"

"Um, actually, I have plans tonight." She backed up toward the door. "So, thank you for the offer, guys, but I am going to have to regretfully decline. See you Monday!"

Before anyone could respond, she ducked out of the lab. Alexander and Lucille exchanged a look.

"Nadie has plans?"

/

/

Handsome Jack tapped an annoyed finger on the table. He had been looking forward to this night since he had left the gunsmith's company, but over the week, his mood had been soured by being forced to deal with a whiney Maliwan rep he couldn't shoot for monetary and socioeconomic reasons. To make matters worse, just the other day, one of the supply depos in the Highlands outpost had detonated. Apparently, someone had hidden explosives within the building at some time prior. The past two months had already red flagged an issue for him—he knew there had to be some group of bandits that had it in their head to interrupt his business flow. However, the attack on a simple outpost that didn't affect his business or income was just an insult to injury. He was done allowing these rebels to run rampant.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the hostess leading Nadie up the small stars into the wing of the restaurant he had reserved for the night. He had chosen the dining area because of the huge bay windows that overlooked the ocean, and he was rewarded for his choice at the look of astonishment that crossed her face, her eyes locked to the view. At the last moment, she tore her gaze from the ocean and smiled at him when they drew up to the table.

"Quiet in here," she observed idly. He glanced around the empty room and grinned.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't distracted from the scenery," he explained easily.

As she settled down at the table, he took a moment to study her. She had eschewed the turtleneck for a high collar button down blouse with an underbust corset snuggly wrapped around her waist. Like before, she wore black slacks, but this pair hung tighter to her legs, emphasizing their length. Her green hair hung loose around her shoulders, and a strappy pair of heels completed the outfit clearly meant for a night out, though she still wore a respectable pair of fingerless work gloves.

That was the point he decided she was wearing far too much and it was his goal to change that by the end of the night.

"I do hope you don't mind, babe, but I set us up for the full course meal. I know it's not as awesome as if I was cooking, but I promise, the chefs are well worth the praise."

She chuckled.

"If you think they're good, then they must be."

He leaned back in his chair and as he did so, a server appeared with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She thanked him when he filled her glass and he disappeared out of the room once more. There were a few minutes of companionable silence between them before Nadie broke it.

"So, what's wrong?"

He paused before taking a sip of his wine.

"What do you mean?"

"Normally by now you would have either launched into some story or another, or have turned on and up the charm. You haven't done either."

"Can't I just be enjoying the company of a beautiful woman?" he retorted.

"Well, you could," she acknowledged, "but there's… I don't know what it is, exactly. You just seem on edge."

"On edge?" he repeated, a tightness entering his voice. Nadie dipped her head a little in a gesture of submission, holding her hands out, palms up.

"I could be wrong. I just thought you might like to discuss it. After all, you helped me out. I was hoping to return the favor."

He studied her for a moment and then let out a slow sigh.

"All right, babe, you caught me," he said. "I've been having a bit of a bandit infestation."

"Really?" Her brows crooked up. "I know they're as tough to kill as spiderants, but I'd have figured the Warrior had scattered them enough that they wouldn't be more than a nuisance to you."

"Yeah, you'd think," he agreed as he took another sip of his wine. "Unfortunately, these bandits have been the hit and run type… They've been sabotaging my business with cowardly guerilla tactics."

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.

"Hit and run ploys? Multiple attacks?"

"Across the continent."

"Just the business locations? No towns?"

"Not a one."

She frowned as she observed, "Now, that's unusual."

"You're telling me, babe." He fell silent, watching her as she nibbled on her finger thoughtfully.

"Did you leave any of the local bandit lords alive?"

"Sweet cheeks, what do you take me for?" The tone was teasing, but Nadie could hear an irritated edge in it. She gave him a soothing smile.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I wasn't questioning your competency. Heavens only know, I would not be sitting across this table from you if I didn't think you were thorough. I was only asking because it is very unusual for bandits to focus that much on any given task. They're usually more of a grab and go kind of group… They generally like weapons, food, and stealing people, not frustrating company presidents. Sabotaging businesses is a bit strange without some sort of leadership."

"Indeed."

They stared at each other for a moment and then she crooked a brow.

"You have an idea of who it might be, don't you?"

He let out a slow breath and leaned back in his chair.

"I have some suspicions. There are a few acquaintances I have a hunch might be behind some of this activity."

"Oooh. Old friends?" Her tone spoke volumes about the potential affection between people such titled.

"Friends…" He snorted. "That is a word for them. I think bandits, villains, and outlaws are more appropriate."

"And they've managed to evade the Warrior?"

"Yes." The word was a hiss and he set his glass down on the table with such force that it let out a worrying crack.

"So you need a hunter." She grinned, baring her teeth.

He studied her for a long moment.

"A hunter," he repeated, the words not quite a question. She paused as a server brought them a set of appetizers and then disappeared out of the dining hall.

"Well, if you want to catch a rakk, you either bait a trap or you hunt them out at their nest. If you've got enemies wily enough to stay out of the Warrior's way, then you're going to need someone a little faster on their feet."

He tilted his head, regarding her evenly.

"Are you volunteering, babe?"

"I'm suggesting that I'm between projects and need something to do." She handed over the cryo mod she had tucked away before leaving the lab.

"It's been a while since I've been out in the field. It'd be nice to get some sun again."

Handsome Jack's eyes widened as he took the mod, looking it over.

"Is this…?"

"Just finished it today."

He stood and walked to one of the nearby digitization consoles. After tapping in a few codes, he picked up the pistol that appeared on the plate below and hooked the mod to the gun. He turned, aiming for one of the bay windows. Four quick shots rang out as he hit each corner of the window. Ice spread out across the glass, obscuring the view with hard edged crystalline patterns.

"Oh, sweet cheeks, you may want some sun, and I will personally guarantee to make sure you get it, but I am definitely going to need to keep you in the lab." He lifted the gun, examining the mod, a triumphant grin on his face. Once he was satisfied with his study, he looked back down at her once more.

"I know I am going to have more for you to do."

Nadie let out a somewhat disappointed breath, but she smiled.

"You're the boss," she acknowledged in amusement. He set the gun aside and came back to the table.

"I'm so glad we're in agreement, babe." He settled into his seat across from her once more and picked his wine glass up.

"So, one project done and an abundance of time. A toast, pumpkin. Here's to finding new undertakings."

She chuckled and tapped her glass to his.

"Here's to a larger than life adventure I would never have expected to be on."

"Oh, babe, we're just getting started."

"I know. That's what worries me."

"Babe," he protested woundedly. His tone made her laugh.

"I kid, I kid," she assured him. She met his gaze directly and gave him a genuine smile.

"I am looking forward to it."

"Good." He reached across the table and caught her hand, bringing it up so he could brush his lips across it.

"I promise you, sweetheart, you're going to love the ride."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

/

/

Dinner progressed over the next hour and a half, light, teasing behavior colored with fantastic food. The wine was well-selected and matched the dinner, and the staff slipped in and out with a well-practiced precision, removing plates as necessary and making sure wine glasses remained full.

By the end of the meal, his charming demeanor and wicked sense of humor had sent her into more than a few fits of giggles.

As the last of the plates were taken away, he held a hand out to her, palm up.

"So? Was it all you were hoping for?"

She took the offered hand and smiled.

"Well, it isn't as amazing as it would have been if you had made it, but it'll just have to do." The smile became a teasing grin. Handsome Jack stood and pulled her to her feet.

"Don't worry, babe, I've taken that under advisement. It'd be worth the effort to shock you into silence again. You get the most adorable speechless expression when you're caught off-guard."

"Don't be mean," she ordered, her tone warm.

"Sweetheart, I am the epitome of a gentleman," he replied easily. "I have nothing but the best intentions at heart."

"Oh really?" she retorted, brows raised. "The best?"

"The best," he agreed, and he drew her close. "The best intention to give you a fantastic dinner. The best intention to make you gasp because of laughter, the best intention to get you into a soft bed." His voice softened to a low rumble as he leaned down toward her.

"The best intention to make you scream in pleasure…"

"The best intention to sweep me off my feet?" she asked breathlessly. He gave her a satisfied smile.

"You know it."

He caught her lips with his own, one of his hands tangling in her loose hair, grip tight. She melted in to his touch, her body pressing up against his. She indulged the kiss, sliding her hands beneath his jacket to rest on his back, pulling him close. His free hand settled at the small of her back, rocking her hips into his.

A few minutes passed in which they simply enjoyed the touch of the other until he finally pulled away.

"I am glad you liked dinner," he said as he began to lead her out of the restaurant.

"It was amazing," she assured him. "I certainly didn't question your taste, but the chefs absolutely live up to your vote of confidence."

Handsome Jack nodded proudly.

"I don't allow anything but the best in Opportunity, after all."

"And the city shines for it," she agreed. "I know I certainly didn't expect to find myself here."

"I'm glad you are. This city suits you."

They stepped out into the cooling air of the evening, the hostess wishing them well and thanking them for their visit. Nadie took a slow breath, her mind beginning to race with curiosity about what came next.

"Why don't I walk you home, babe?" he offered suddenly, interrupting her line of thought.

"Walk?" she repeated, looking around at their location. The classy restaurant district abutted the high-end housing quarter, but Nadie's home was centered in the more moderate-priced housing sector, which was some distance from them.

"That might take a bit of a walk," she warned him.

"Maybe less than you'd think. C'mon, sweet cheeks. The exercise would be good for us. You were the one who said you wanted to go back out into the field."

"Oh, no need to convince me," she informed him with a laugh. "It means more time in your company. I'm strangely ok with that."

"I knew you had good taste," he replied, preening a little. He offered her his arm. She slid her own arm through his and tucked herself against him as he began to lead her down the steps and out of the restaurant district.

"So, what did you do out in the field?" he inquired.

"Hm?" She looked up at him.

"When you offered to go hunting for me, you said it had been a while since you had been out in the field."

"Ah yes. You see, my dad is the sheriff of Erikeep and he does a damn good job at it. The town is his baby. Nothing happens there that he doesn't know about."

"Sounds like my kind of guy," Handsome Jack observed in amusement.

"The downfall of my father's devotion, however, is that he will not bend the rules with regard to his position. His job is the safety and protection of the town. That means he absolutely won't leave it for any reason. So when something goes wrong outside of town, he sends someone to deal with it. Oftentimes, it's a deputy he sends, whether it's to assist a nearby settlement or deal with some animal threat or another. However, when bandits become involved…" The gunsmith trailed off and shook her head. "There are two things my father despises: trouble and bandits."

"I like him already."

She laughed at that.

"Well, that's a good sign. You two share that quality at least. Dad absolutely does not tolerate bandit activity anywhere near his town, but if they haven't made any threats or attempts on the town or its inhabitants, and they mind their manners and keep at a distance, he can't make a move on them. So, when the occasion calls for it, I have been known to go take care of any such problems for my father."

"You?" He looked down at her as they strolled down the street together. "You mean to tell me that you clean up bandit encampments? Certainly not by yourself!"

She chuckled.

"Don't sell me short, Jack. I'm smart, fast, incredibly good with guns, and far more durable than anyone gives me credit for. Don't forget, I'm first gen Pandoran. This planet will eat even the most prepared fool. Plus," she added thoughtfully with a slight smile, "I inherited my father's intense dislike of bandits."

"I knew you were a woman after my heart," he stated with a grin. The gunsmith reached out with her free hand and brushed it across his arm.

"I promise, I'm not picking out the right answers on purpose."

"Are you sure, babe? I think someone might have given you the cheat sheet."

That made her laugh.

"Nah. If I had the cheat sheet and knew you were this funny, I'd have sought out your company long before now."

She felt his hand squeeze her arm gently.

"It's a pity you didn't know what you were missing earlier. Oh, here we are." He stopped them both in front of an absolutely gorgeous three story house. Nadie blinked and glanced up toward him, giving him a sidelong smile.

"You do stun me, but you don't blind me, my dear. We're a long way from my home. This isn't it."

"It is now," he retorted, and he pressed a key into her hand, not giving her a chance to refuse it. "Let's go take a peek!" He freed his arm from hers and went up the steps toward the door, leaving the gunsmith staring in shock. He unlocked the door with a key of his own and looked back at her.

"Aw, there's that adorable speechless expression again. C'mon, sweet cheeks, get up here and take a look."

"You…" she started and fell silent, struggling to find something to say. A grin crooked the corner of his lips.

"Three steps, babe. That's all it'll take, and you can keep hunting for words in the meantime." He held his hand out to her. She walked up to him slowly and he took her hand and tugged her inside, closing the door behind them.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," he purred happily.

"Why am I standing in a house far beyond my paygrade?" the gunsmith finally managed to ask.

"Oh, babe, like I was going to let my girlfriend live in that tiny little hovel."

Her brows crooked upward.

"That tiny little hovel was like 1600 square feet."

"Yeah," Hyperion's president agreed. "Tiny."

His blatant disregard of the comfort level of her home made her chuckle.

"Remind me never to show you the house I grew up in."

She slid her hand out of his grip and strolled through the bottom floor, learning the layout.

"You sure you want to do this?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Do you hate it?"

"No! It's beautiful!"

He grinned.

"Then I'm sure."

"You really don't have to do this for me. I'm fine in my place."

"Babe, this isn't just for you. Moving you here is a convenience for me. And speaking of which, I have a team ready to move your stuff here at any time."

She laughed and turned to look at him fully as she entered the main sitting room.

"You move quickly, don't you?"

"I told you. I'm used to getting what I want." He crossed the distance between them and slid a hand around the back of her head so that he could kiss her. She responded immediately, one of her hands going to his cheek, her palm brushing the edge of the mask and the skin in front of his ear. After a few moments, he pulled away reluctantly and reached up to her hand, brushing the glove she wore.

"All right, babe, I've got to ask. Are you one of those girls that's _always_ cold?"

"Hm?" Nadie replied distractedly, breathing slowly as she tried to get her heart to slow. "What do you mean?"

"I always see you in this same type of ensemble."

She glanced back at him to see him gesture to her clothing.

"Dress slacks, long sleeved shirt of some kind of another…" He gently shook the hand he was holding. "And these same fingerless gloves. I've never seen you in a dress or a skirt. Hell, you didn't even show off any skin for our date tonight." He gave her an almost pouty expression, making her smile.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't meant to be a slight or anything. This is just about what I always wear. I don't have much else in my closet."

That made him frown. "Remind me to burn your current wardrobe and replace it. I already have some new things in mind. I do hope you like lace."

As he spoke, he stepped into her, brushing his lips across her cheek.

"Does it have to be lace?" she retorted, attempting to sound exasperated, but his close proximity stole the strength in her voice, leaving her sounding breathless.

"Mm… I can do silk, if you'd prefer," he murmured before stealing her lips with his own.

She wasn't sure why she was giving into him. He was self-centered, egotistical, and consumed with his own desires. He was certainly not the type of man she would have ever guessed she'd find attractive. It almost made her want to resist.

But it was that "almost" that was her downfall. For all his egotism, she had never met anyone like him. His flippant disregard of those around him was infuriating, but at the same time, the source of the wicked sense of humor that had her laughing even when she knew she should be feeling bad about it. His quick mind and sharp wit kept her on her toes and left her eagerly awaiting their next encounter.

Consumed by the feel of his hands on her skin and the taste of his mouth in hers, she was only vaguely aware he was guiding her through the house. It wasn't until she heard a door click shut that she realized he had relocated them to a different room. When he finally released her lips, she took a moment to glance around and see where they were now.

Ah. The bedroom, with a bed large enough for a full squadron, she was positive. He watched her as recognition flew across her features, a wicked glint in his eyes.

"You going to run from me now, pumpkin?"

"No." She turned back toward him. "I think I missed my chance to do that a while ago."

He kissed her again, diving his tongue into her mouth, indulging in the taste of her. When he pulled away, that glint had spread to a matching grin.

"Damn straight, babe."

He took up her right hand and undid the snaps at the back of the glove, pulling it off over her fingers and tossing it aside casually. When he took the left, however, she flinched, pulling her hand away. He looked up at her and they stared at each other for a moment before she slowly returned her hand to his grasp. His eyes never leaving hers, he undid the second glove and pulled it off.

The moment the fabric was removed, she dropped her gaze from his uncomfortably, staring instead at the uncovered skin of her hand. He followed her look and blinked once in surprise, a brow crooking upward. Across the back of her hand he could see a sweeping whirl of blue markings. He brushed his finger across it, verifying its permanency, before releasing her hand and snaking his palms up under her shirt, caressing the skin of her sides and back. She shivered and leaned up to kiss him quickly before pulling away, an almost timid gesture. He chuckled.

"So unsure of yourself, babe. Am I that overwhelming?"

"It's not that," she replied as she released her grip on his shirt so that he could tug the blouse off over her head. It, too, was tossed aside and he took a moment to study her. She frowned a little under his scrutiny, crossing an arm over her chest to rub a hand down her left arm self-consciously. Handsome Jack reached out and caught her hand, pulling it away.

"No need to worry." He used his grip on her to tug her closer so he could run a palm across her waist, examining the blue markings that danced across the entirety of her left side from head to toe.

"I'm not running."

At his words, he watched a tension ease out of her posture, but she rallied up a teasing smile.

"Hey, if anyone should be running, it should be me. Do you know on how many people's shit list I would be if they knew where I was right now?"

"Fuck 'em," he retorted, shrugging a shoulder. Then, he grinned impishly. "Actually, correction. I'd rather you fu—"

She reached up and placed a finger to his lips, smirking. "I see where you're going with that."

He chuckled. "I do hope you'll join me, then."

/

/

(Author's Note: The next segment is a fairly detailed sex scene. If you are uncomfortable with reading such, please skip the rest of this chapter.)

/

/

With a quick motion, he swept a hand under her thighs and tipped her back onto the bed. She squealed in surprise at first, but as the comforter billowed up around her, it dissolved into giggles. He leaned onto a knee on the bed, looming over her. It took a moment for her to stifle her laughter, but she reached up and took hold of his head, pulling him down to her. After catching his lips with her own, her hands slid down to his jacket, tugging at it. He rolled his shoulders to help her pull it off, then leaned up so the shirt could be divested as well. Once both of those were tossed to the floor, he undid the clasp of her bra and threw it to join his clothes.

"I wasn't expecting you, you know," she stated idly, tangling her fingers in his hair. He kissed her down her jawline, across her neck, and down her chest.

"I wasn't expecting to like you," he replied, catching her nipple between his teeth and tugging gently, listening to her gasp. "You were certainly a pretty face, but I absolutely did not expect the brain in that skull."

"I'm happy to provide a surprise at least." She snaked her hands down to his belt and busied herself with starting to pull it off. He propped himself up and watched her for a moment before impatience had him helping kick off his pants and last of his clothing.

"Oh, you were full of surprises, babe," he replied with a chuckle as he turned his attention to her slacks. "Most women who go to the Hero Hour go there for the ability to brag they were close to me."

"Or to say they had been bedded by you," Nadie interrupted with a smile as she shoved her clothes off the side of the bed.

"Mm… Not that I've taken advantage of that," he protested as he ran his fingers across the markings on the inside of her thigh. She shuddered a little at his touch.

"Of course," she murmured, eyes half lidded in pleasure.

"Hey, I haven't," he insisted. "But you came in like you were ready for war. I was not expecting that."

She frowned and opened her eyes fully to meet his gaze.

"I was not."

"Says the women who questioned everything I told her, inspected every bit of my motivation, and tried to exhaust my knowledge."

"I was trying to break you," she muttered, pouting. "I hadn't known you were the real Handsome Jack."

He grinned. "That was sorta the point, babe."

"And look at where it got me."

"Mm." He kissed her, and as he did so, he settled down between her thighs. She looped one leg over him even as he dropped a hand to her lower back and shifted her hips so that he could slide himself inside her. She gasped around his lips, her hands clutching at his back and shoulders as he slowly worked his way deeper, and he held her against him for a long moment without moving.

"Yeah, look at where it got you," he murmured. "And are you complaining about it?"

"No." It was barely a squeak, but he heard it nonetheless. A wicked grin curved his lips and he rolled his hips once, then twice, slowly.

"You sure?" he prompted again. She nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Good." He kissed her again, his free hand catching her left wrist and pushing it up over her head as he began to find a rhythm. A shudder went through her and she wrapped both legs about him, meeting each thrust with a roll of her hips. He didn't tease or heckle her further—his attention was consumed with a different sort of sport, one no less satisfying. He indulged in the feel of her, sliding himself deeper and deeper until he was buried to the hilt within her, encouraged by the whimpers and moans she made from beneath him.

"Nadie…" he growled in her ear. He felt the nails of her one free hand dig into his back at her name.

"Yesss?" The query was drawn out, almost a hiss of escaping breath as he felt her tighten her muscles along his length.

"Hold on."

She blinked a time or two, clearly trying to get a grip on what he was saying.

"What?"

Without giving her any further time to make sense of his words, he got a firm grip on her, braced himself, and then bodily flipped them both over so he could stretch out on his back and watch her settle atop him. She gasped at the abrupt change in position as well as the feeling of the different angle it put him in within her.

"Warned you," he said with a grin. She gave him an exasperated smile.

"If you had given me a bit more heads up, I could have helped."

He shrugged a shoulder easily. "Worked out just fine, didn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose it did." She nodded slowly, eyes closed as she began to roll her hips over him, experimenting with the new position. It wasn't long before they were grinding against one another, each focused on the task of making the other one cry out first. His fingers dug into her back while she sped up her rhythm, and she dipped down long enough to steal his tongue from his mouth for a few heartbeats before straightening and returning to her mission. She reached back and caught his hands, pushing them both up over his head. He fought her, but her place above him gave her the leverage to hold him.

"Woman…" he groaned, and she could feel the shudder run through his body.

"Oh, don't fuss," she purred, leaning down to kiss him again. "You gave me the control. Don't whine if I take it."

"Why, you…" He twisted his arms suddenly, but only succeeded in getting one hand free. With his newly-acquired liberty, he got as best a grip on her hip as he could and forced her motions above him to be faster, setting her almost into a frenzied rocking. A surprised moan escaped her and she tilted her head back, eyes closed once more as she became subsumed by the sensations. His attempt to make her lose control rapidly became a double edged sword, however—the more erratic her motions became, the more he himself was failing at staving off the pleasure that was building like a tidal wave.

Something in his grip or a change in his breathing must have caught her attention as she met his gaze and gave him a grin that only belonged in a bedroom during moments like this.

"Such a look of satisfaction, babe," he growled throatily, his hand on her shifting up to her lower back for better control. Nadie leaned down until her lips brushed his.

" _Mine_."

It was one word, full of lust and need, animalistic and primal in its tone. It had nothing to do with intellect or logic or practicality in any way—it was all about the here and now, this moment where no barrier existed between them. He was the reason this normally analytical and sensible woman had lost all semblance of control, and the cries and whimpers she made were gratifying in a way he hadn't experienced in some time.

He had already known he was going to keep her, but this set it in stone.

"Afraid not, sweetie," he replied and twisted his other hand out of her grip. "You're mine."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he used his free hand to push himself up to meet her lips with his own and his arm around her tightened, shortening her grinding. The heat of his embrace and the control he exerted over her fired off instinctual drives, and she growled and leaned down to bite him at the base of the throat.

That retaliatory act of dominance was the last he could take—she felt him wrap his other arm around her, pulling her against him fully, forcing her to roll fast and hard over him. A soft keen escaped her as she felt pleasure mounting to an almost unbearable degree. His fingers dug into her back and she felt his control break—his direction of her hips became erratic, his breath hitched, and then she felt his arms about her tighten almost to the point of bruising as he moaned, shuddering against her. The pressure and the sound of his satisfaction tipped her over the edge, sending her spiraling into her own climax.

For a few heartbeats, the two were entangled with each other, riding a height of pleasure and fulfillment, and then something sparked. The Siren markings over her stomach ignited into a soft purple glow that swiftly spread to all the tattoos. Power built within her and exploded outward, a pair of iridescent amethyst wings manifesting off her back. The moment that light fell over him, he felt his heart slow its frantic beat, his adrenaline diminished, even the strain in his muscles faded. Nadie gasped as the power dispersed, the markings returning to their inert blue state, leaving both energized and recouped as if it had been hours after their lovemaking as opposed to seconds.

"Hoo… Damn, babe. Does that happen every time?" He leaned back across the bed, palms lightly gripping her hips, causing her to roll slowly over him.

"I don't know," she replied airily, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. She looked down to meet his gaze. "This is sort of a first for me."

One of Handsome Jack's brows quirked upward, and then he gave her a slow, satisfied smile.

"Sweet." He pushed himself up and kissed her, indulging in her taste. "Clearly we should find out. For science, mind you."

"Science. Of course," she agreed easily, tangling her fingers in his hair and following him down as he dropped back onto the bed.


	10. Chapter 09

"A'ight, Rueb, whatcha got for me?" Vincent asked as Rueben came into his office early Monday morning for their weekly meeting.

"Actually, quite a bit," Rueben replied. "The team got the cryo mod done finally."

"Did they?" Vincent leaned forward, an eager expression on his face.

"Did ya bring a prototype?"

"I did not. Nadalie took it home for the weekend, probably to tweak with it. You know how she is."

"She's my little workaholic," Vincent purred affectionately. Rueben tried hard not to shudder.

"The mod's in the lab's system, though, so you can try it out if you'd like. It's as good as advertised."

"That's fantastic ta hear! The boss'll be pleased!" The taller man leaned back in his chair once more.

"Ya got anything else for me?"

"I'm also in the process of doing the yearly reviews." Rueben opened up his folder and pulled out the two completed evaluations. Vincent took them and looked it over.

"What are yer thoughts?"

"Frankly, as odd as the individuals are, they make a fantastic team," Rueben grudgingly responded.

"Aw, they've grown on ya!" Vincent chortled. Rueben frowned, but before he could say anything further, his manager continued.

"Boyo, I've only got two reviews here. Ain't you missing one?"

"Yeah, I was going to do Nadalie's today when I got back to the lab."

Vincent's eyes lit.

"Good news, Rueben. I'm going to lighten yer load. Ya let that lovely young lady know she is to come to see me in my office. I'll take care o' her evaluation."

"But boss—"

"Ah, ah! No need ta thank me. I'm just looking out fer my favorite employee."

Rueben fought to keep his face straight.

"You're the boss," he replied even as he silently apologized to Nadie in his head.

/

/

Nadie woke slowly, not quite willingly, but the gurgle of a stomach beneath her ear made her blink her eyes open.

"Hungry?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Famished," Handsome Jack's voice came from above her head.

"I think I'd kill for water, myself." She stretched languidly before tucking herself back against his side.

"Mm. Yeah, water sounds even better." He slipped an arm around her and squeezed gently.

"Breakfast is definitely a thing that could happen. What time is it?"

Handsome Jack glanced over at a clock.

"10 a.m."

"That's not too bad."

"Monday."

"Oh." She nestled into his chest for a moment and then froze, her eyes going wide. " _Monday?!_ Oh, son of a taint! I am so late!" The Siren rolled out of bed immediately, going on a hunt for her clothes. Handsome Jack propped himself up to watch her frantic motions and gave her a teasing smile.

"I could just write you a note, excuse you for being late."

She laughed as she slid into her pants. "I somehow don't think Rueben would believe it if I gave him a note that said I was late for work because I had spent the weekend with Handsome Jack."

"You never know," he replied, tucking his hands behind his head. "You seem like that hard working, never takes any risks, rarely lies kind of person. Though, you _are_ a Siren."

"You're the only person who knows that," she informed him, her voice muffled as she pulled her shirt on.

"The only person?" He studied her curiously.

"Well, my dad. But that's it. It's not a topic I really feel like letting people know. Sirens attract trouble. And as you said, I seem like the hard working, never takes any risks type. Now I have really got to get out of here."

"Or else what? You might climb back into bed with me?"

She looked up at him as she finished putting on her shoes, and her expression was amused, though there was a hint of uncertainty that shadowed it.

"Yes."

Then she was out of the door.

/

/

Handsome Jack sauntered into his office, having left Nadie's new home not long after the gunsmith had escaped for work. Mister Blake looked up from conversing with an assistant.

"Sir," he greeted, turning his whole body toward Hyperion's president. "Where have you been? Are you all right? No one was able to get ahold of you all weekend."

Handsome Jack chuckled.

"Jimmy, you would not believe the sex I've had. You!" he ordered, directing the words to the assistant who squeaked and stood at attention.

"Sir?"

"Go get me a couple of cheeseburgers and a gallon of water. I'm starving."

"Sir?"

Without missing a beat, Handsome Jack turned back to Mister Blake.

"Get that little notepad of yours ready. We have some restructuring to do." His gaze snapped back to the assistant. "You! Why are you still here? Cheeseburger. Water. Go!"

The assistant immediately scampered off. By the time Handsome Jack turned back to Mister Blake, the latter had a datapad in his hand, awaiting orders.

"Ready when you are, sir."

The president smiled.

/

/

"Lucille," Alexander whined. "It's almost 11. Do you think Nadie's dead?"

The red haired woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why do you keep insisting Nadie's dead, Alexander?"

"Because she's _never_ late! She's always here before us. She has no life. There's no reason for her to be late, this late especially. She must be dead! We need to go save her! Come on!"

Alexander had grabbed Lucille's hand and just started to drag her to the exit when the door to the lab suddenly slammed open and Nadie walked swiftly into the room, the rumble of Rueben's irritated voice coming from behind her.

"I'm here, I'm here," the gunsmith assured them as she entered, pulling off her jacket and throwing it over her chair. She poured herself a tall glass of water and quickly knocked it back.

"See, Alexander?" Lucille began while Nadie drank. "She's fine. She—" She fell silent, looking her over. "Nadie?"

"What?" Nadie asked cautiously as she refilled her cup, intentionally not looking at the other woman.

"Your hair's mussed. You're not wearing any makeup. Those are probably the nicest clothes I've ever seen you in and they're askew." Lucille's eyes widened. "It finally happened! You were with a guy all weekend!"

"Ooooh!" Alexander squealed, hands going to his lips like it was some shocking secret. "Scandalous!"

"Shut up," Nadie grumbled. "It was not scandalous."

"It could have been," he protested, pouting. "He could have been married."

"He isn't," she snapped grumpily. Lucille and Alexander exchanged a look and then stared at her pointedly.

"So you _were_ with a guy," Lucille purred. "Who was it? Come on, you have to tell us!"

Nadie rolled her eyes. "You would not believe me if I told you."

Alexander crossed his arms over his chest and put his nose in the air in a posture of faux haughtiness.

"You let us be the judges on that."

"Seriously, you wouldn't believe me," Nadie informed them.

"Sure we will, Nadie!" Lucille assured her. "We're already in magical fantasy land. It can't get any more unbelievable."

The gunsmith crooked an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ok, I was with Handsome Jack all weekend."

Both of her coworkers stared at her for a heartbeat, obviously processing her words, and then Alexander squealed happily

"Aw, Nadie, you went back to the Hero Hour!"

Lucille groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Nadie, you shouldn't have to pay for that!"

The gunsmith threw her arms up.

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, we believe you," Alexander assured her, winking knowingly. Nadie sighed and shook her head.

"Get back to work, both of you."

"Yes, Ms. Tirrell," they both replied.

"Knock it off."

/

/

An hour or so passed in mostly companionable silence, interrupted only by occasional disappointed glances from Lucille and open ended questions of curiosity from Alexander (none of which Nadie deigned to answer).

Suddenly, Rueben's voice rumbled through the lab from the front doorway.

"Nadie? You have a visitor."

The gunsmith looked up, brows quirking together thoughtfully.

"Oooh, Nadie has a visitor," Alexander teased in a sing-song tone. Nadie gave him a look before heading out of the lab.

Standing with a sweating Reuben was a distinguished-looking older gentleman in a grey pinstripe suit.

"Ah, you must be Ms. Nadalie Tirrell," he greeted evenly. She nodded cautiously as she approached.

"I am."

"My name is Jeffrey Blake. I have been tasked with assisting you in an upcoming endeavor. Would you kindly accompany me?"

The gunsmith glanced at Rueben who started nodding at her emphatically. She titled her head to the side curiously. This Mister Blake had to be quite up the chain if Rueben was panicking.

"Of course."

"Follow me, if you would."

He turned on his heel and headed toward the exit. Nadie looked at Rueben once more before following after her guide. Mister Blake walked down the R&D department's halls slowly enough for Nadie to draw abreast of him, but his pace spoke of a man with a thousand and one things to do and this was not high on his list.

"It seems you have attracted the attention of our mutual employer," he stated, voice neutral. Nadie sighed and closed her eyes for a half second, preparing herself.

"What has he done?"

"He has decided you are to be closer to him and are in need of greater responsibility."

"Dare I ask what that means?" she inquired worriedly. They had long ago left the area of the R&D complex she was familiar with behind and were heading into the depths of the department. He paused when they came to a pair of elevator doors and passed a badge across the sensor set where a call button should be. The doors slid open silently and he gestured for her to enter. Once she had stepped in, he joined her and handed her a badge with her name and picture on it.

"This will give you access to the entirety of the Research and Development department, up to and including the top secret experimental labs and the high security armories. You will need them for your new job duties."

When Mister Blake fell silent again, Nadie met his reservation with her own. He carried himself as the gentleman businessman, but it was pretty clear he wasn't terribly happy to be doing this task, for whatever reason.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open. He led the way out and Nadie took two steps onto the new floor before stopping dead. They were on the top story, and the lab laid out before her had the most high tech equipment as well as gorgeous layout. There was the bare insinuation of individual work stations, as there were desks and chairs in varying corners of the room, but only the most minimal of dividers separated them from the main floor. There were no walls to the top story of R&D—just huge reinforced glass windows, looking over the ocean and the city proper.

"Wow," she breathed softly. Mister Blake turned to her, hands clasped behind his back.

"Welcome to your lab, Director of Research and Development."

"I'm sorry. What." Her tone was flat—it was not intended as a question. When he just continued to stare at her, she pinched her nose wearily.

"He doesn't do subtle, does he?"

"Not his style, I'm afraid, Ms. Tirrell. You are now responsible for the department, including the labor, project management, funding requests, financing requirements—"

"I get it, I get it," she interrupted. "It's my obligation and my ass if something goes wrong." She shook her head, smiling a little bitterly. "Well, I wanted a raise and greater responsibility. Be careful what you wish for and all that."

"I'll leave you to settle in, then," he stated. He stepped passed her back to the elevator, but paused.

"And just so we're clear, Ms. Tirrell, I will be monitoring your progress quite closely. Just because our employer has taken a fancy to you does not mean I share his affection. I do not allow waste nor incompetents to last long. If you preform to a satisfactory level, I shall not interceded, but rest assured, I will not allow Handsome Jack's favoritism of you to negatively impact his position or the company."

Nadie's brows crooked up.

"My, my. Such a polite threat. Don't you worry about me. I detest being a burden." She studied him for a moment.

"You actually care about his appearance and well-being, don't you? That's unusual for someone in this company. Loyalty does not seem to be a common virtue." She smiled at him. "I think we'll get along just fine."

"I sincerely hope so, Ms. Tirrell."

"Oh, before you go," she began, halting him as he turned back to the elevator. "I know this is probably my decision ultimately since the department is now my problem, but may I bring my coworkers up here? It would be nice to have a few familiar faces I know I can trust while I feel out my responsibilities."

Mister Blake watched her thoughtfully for a long moment.

"I shall let our employer know you will be stepping out of the lab for a short while. I will also alert the moving team and direct them to your prior workshop so they might be available to relocate whatever equipment necessary."

"Thank you, Mister Blake."

"You are welcome, Ms. Tirrell."

He turned then and stepped into the elevator, the closing doors obscuring him from view. Once he was gone, she looked back out over the lab.

"Oh boy."

/

/

"Isn't she perfect?" Handsome Jack asked the moment Mister Blake walked into his office, the president's tone indicating the question was mostly rhetorical.

Mister Blake simply "hmed" in answer and approached his superior's desk, dropping off the file he had been in possession of. Handsome Jack propped his chin on one hand.

"I know that tone. That's the tone that means you think I've done something stupid, but you're too polite to tell me."

"Not stupid, sir," Mister Blake replied. "I would never call any of your choices such. I just don't necessarily agree with your decision."  
"Oh?" Hyperion's president leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Don't keep me guessing—do tell."

"I will acknowledge that all reviews and reports indicate Ms. Tirrell has performed quite well in her current job, but the fact of the matter is she's lacking in critical experience for the responsibilities required by this position. Pandoran-born, she has no real formal education to speak of, she's only worked for Hyperion for a very short time, and while she does direct her small team of technicians, she's never had any real management experience. I am deeply concerned about her being entrusted with a whole department and that you have instructed me to remain hands-off as to her activities. I am loathe to leave an unknown element in a position of power."

Handsome Jack folded his hands in his lap, the grin softening to a satisfied smile.

"Jimmy, we've been together an awful long time now, haven't we?"

"Yes, sir."

"And in all that time, have you ever known me to suffer fools or incompetents?"

"Only when you see a use in them or they amuse you, sir."

Handsome Jack tilted his head in acknowledgement of his assistant's words. "Touché. But you get my point. I know you don't see why I picked her yet, but trust me, you'll be apologizing for ever doubting me in a month's time, tops."

"I don't doubt you, sir," Mister Blake responded. "I'm only concerned that you're not making your decisions with a clear head."

"Trust me, Jimmy, my head hasn't been this clear in quite a while." He patted the file in front of him affectionately.

"I know exactly what I'm doing."

/

/

"Do you think they fired her?" Alexander whispered confidentially. Lucille looked up from her work and frowned.

"Why would they fire her?"

"Well, she was late today."

"I doubt they're going to fire her over being late. It's the first time she's _ever_ been late. Heck, you're late once a week, and they haven't fired you."

"You don't get it, Lucille! Work is Nadie's life! She's been gone for hours! She's dead in a ditch somewhere!"

"Alexander, she's been gone for twenty minutes."

"She's dead! She's dying alone and forgotten!" Alexander continued to wail. "We have to save her! C'mon, Lucille! We have to be there for her!" The blonde haired man rushed over, grabbed Lucille's hand and started to tug her toward the door, much to her annoyance. They were four steps from the door when Nadie entered the lab.

"Oh, Nadie, there you are," Alexander greeted calmly, immediately straightening and releasing Lucille's hand. "We were just about to come looking for you."

"Really?" Nadie questioned disbelievingly.

"Nadie!" Alexander cried woundedly. "We were genuinely concerned for your wellbeing!"

"Don't buy it," Lucille grumbled from behind him. "He just wanted to go get something from the snack machine."

"I was only going to stop to get something to help fortify me on the search for Nadie," he protested.

"Sure you were," the mod designer retorted. "You would have gotten some protein bar or another, started to eat it, and then spend the next 15 minutes complaining about how bad it is, and how the flavor isn't balanced. Only then might you go back to your search for Nadie, and that's assuming you didn't get distracted by something else shiny."

"Lucille!"

"All right, all right, you two," Nadie interrupted. "I came here to talk to you, not listen to you bicker like kids. I have good news and bad news for both of you."

"Bad news first," Lucille requested immediately.

"They _are_ firing you!" Alexander whined, starting to flail again. "I'm going to have to actually start working!"

Nadie rolled her eyes.

"It wouldn't kill you to work once in a while. But they aren't firing me."

"Oh." Alexander subsided, his tone relieved.

"See? I told you they wouldn't fire her," Lucille stated.

"I'm not working here anymore," Nadie continued.

"What?!" both exclaimed simultaneously.

"But you just said you weren't fired!" Alexander howled.

"I was promoted."

"Seriously?" Lucille asked in surprise.

"Congrats, Nadie!" Alexander commended happily.

"That's the good news, then?" Lucille inquired cautiously.

"No, actually. The good news is I got permission to bring you both along with me."

"Sweet!" Alexander immediately turned and went to his workstation, beginning the process of packing up. Ever the practical one, Lucille narrowed her eyes.

"What's in it for us?"

"Uh… bigger lab, more responsibility, bigger pay?"

"Oh, we know you're going to go, Lucille," the blonde haired man commented, his hands busily picking up and organizing items around. "If you don't, you'll get left here with Rueben. And Vincent."

"Uuuugggh," both women shuddered.

"All right," Lucille acceded, "I'll get packing."

"Actually, I brought some help along."

"You did?" Alexander stopped and plopped down into his chair, looking at her curiously. Nadie leaned her head out of the lab door.

"Hey, boys, we could use your help."

A handful of well-built men followed her in and immediately got to work, starting to gather items and equipment together with practiced speed and professionalism.

"This too?" one of the movers asked, jerking his thumb toward Alexander in his chair.

"Yup, that too," Nadie informed him. The worker shrugged a shoulder, gestured to one of his coworkers, and both of them picked the chair up with Alexander still on it. He yelped like a skag pup while Nadie broke into laughter. As the movers carried him out, the gun designer cackled merrily.

"It's like I'm a king!"

"I won't blame you if you drop him," Nadie told them as they left the lab. She heard Alexander's cheery, "Bye, Rob!" come through the lab's doors as they swung shut. Lucille stared after them for a long moment and then looked back at Nadie.

"What is going on?"

"Come on, follow me."

The red headed mod designer trailed after her coworker, her mind buzzing with questions she wasn't sure if she could ask yet. Nadie walked down the halls at a brisk pace and led her to the elevator that required a security clearance to use.

"Damn, Nadie, we're in the heart of R&D."

"Not yet, we're not."

She used her new badge and stepped into the elevator when the doors opened. Lucille stared in shock for a moment and only entered when Nadie beckoned her.

"I have badges being processed for both of you, but for now you'll need me to get in. I should have them for you before the day's done, though."

The elevator gave off a soft ding as it came to a stop and the doors opened to reveal the top floor lab.

"Hoooooly," Lucille breathed quietly, stepping out into the lab.

" _Now_ we're in the heart of R &D," Nadie commented idly.

"Nadie! Nadie!" Alexander called excitedly, sitting on his chair in the center of the room. "They brought me all the way up!"

"Look at this equipment," Lucille observed, her eyes wide as she studied the workstations. "This is all the newest machinery. I've never dreamed I'd get a chance to breathe on them, let alone use them."

Alexander, who had left his chair to peer over Lucille's shoulder, looked back at Nadie.

"Is… this isn't some amazing practical joke, is it, Nadie?"

"It has to be," Lucille protested, turning so she was facing the gunsmith as well. "How in the world could you have gotten us access to this place?"

"Uh, about that," Nadie began uncomfortably, trying to figure out how she wanted to explain.

"Sweet cheeks, did you get your goons?" came a cheery male voice as Handsome Jack stepped out of the elevator into the lab. Lucille's eyes immediately went wide and her mouth dropped open while Alexander let out a high-pitched squeal, clenched hands going to his mouth like an overly excited fan meeting his idol. Hyperion's president stopped beside the gunsmith and quirked an eyebrow at the blonde haired man.

"What's with him?"

"He just needs to reboot," Nadie replied, rubbing a hand over her eyes.

"Fantastic," Handsome Jack responded evenly. Alexander opened his mouth as if to say something, but when the only sound that emerged was another squeak, he snapped it shut once more. The president gave him an odd look before dismissing him and examining Lucille.

"And you are, sweetheart?"

"I… oh… handso…" she stuttered. She shook her head abruptly, struggling to get ahold of herself.

"Um, Lucille. I'm Lucille."

Handsome Jack gave her a satisfied grin.

"Don't worry, babe, I have that effect on women." He pointed thoughtfully at her. "Lucille." He shifted his look and indication to Alexander who squealed again. Handsome Jack frowned and dropped his hand.

"Squeaky." He turned back to Nadie and kissed her. "Only for a moment, sweet cheeks, just wanted to check in on you and see how you were doing. Dinner at 7?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Great. Meet you at your place."

He turned then and headed back to the elevator, disappearing from view. The trio watched him go and then Lucille and Alexander slowly shifted their gaze back to Nadie. She didn't look at them immediately, but as the seconds ticked by, she knew she couldn't push it off.

"So…" she began, turning back to them.

"Nadie, you're sleeping with the boss?!" Lucille sputtered in shock while Alexander squeaked. Nadie hissed quietly as she winced.

"Yeah…"

"Good heavens. I know I told you that you could take anyone home you wanted, but damn, you aim high!"

"In my defense, he found me."

Alexander let out a series of squeaks. Both women looked at him, Nadie in confusion, Lucille in exasperation.

"Why would he find you?" Lucille demanded. "He's not into men. You know that!"

The gun designer made a sad, strangled sound, and then abruptly brightened up, letting out a lilting squeal of excitement. In response, Lucille crossed her arms over her chest.

"No, you can't touch him! He's Nadie's!"

"I'm not sharing!" Nadie declared. As Alexander whined and dropped his head in disappointment, Nadie looked at Lucille.

"How do you understand him?"

"He gets like this when he gets super drunk. All right, 'Squeaky,' get it together. We have work to do." She looked back at Nadie. "What do you need help with, Director?"

The gunsmith sighed and gestured to a large desk piled high with paperwork.

"The last director didn't care for paperwork, as it turns out…"

Lucille groaned and Alexander whimpered.

"We're putting in some overtime hours, aren't we?"

"Yeah, probably."

Alexander squeaked unhappily.

"Gerty will get over it," Lucille retorted. He made another high pitched noise at her. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Harolt will get over it, too."


	11. Chapter 10

"Nadie!" Lawson all but exclaimed when she picked up his call. His voice was tight with concern—it was clear he was worried about her. She had missed three calls from him over the weekend, one for each day, and hadn't had a chance to call him back.

She smiled a little sheepishly.

"Hi, Dad."

"Are you all right? I couldn't get ahold of you for the last few days."

"Yeah, I'm fine, Dad," she assuredh him. She felt a little guilty; she had never gone longer than a 24 hour period without returning his initial contact.

She heard Lawson sigh in relief.

"I'm glad to hear that." He paused, clearly gathering his thoughts now that his daughter's safety had been confirmed.

"So, how did it go? Good, I'm assuming, judging by my inability to get ahold of you on Friday."

"Um." She hesitated. "Well, I just finished moving all my equipment into my new lab and I'm sitting in my new place which is triple the size of the prior one. I don't know what I'm going to do with all this space."

Lawson was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, there was an exasperated tone in his voice.

"Couldn't wait for the third date, huh?" he asked dryly.

"Dad!" she protested, stung. Then, she added, "It was sorta the fourth date, anyway."

Lawson just grunted in response.

"Please don't tell me you moved in with him."

"Oh, no, no, no. He just moved me into a new place of my own. Which, seriously, I have no idea what I'm going to do with. I could fit half our town in here."

"Hm. You must have made quite the impression."

"Apparently." She was quiet for a moment, and then she sighed. "How's the town doing without me?"

"Looking for some semblance of normalcy, huh?"

"My whole world has been a little crazy the last few days. So yeah, I'm sorta looking for something familiar."

Lawson huffed. "Town's mostly the same. Still have a mayor. Dylan's taken over the tours entirely. He's finally off script. Darrell's been checking in on and off the last few weeks."

"Pops isn't in town?" she asked, brows raised. Lawson groaned.

"He's off chasing fairytales. He thinks he found some clue."

"He's off hunting the Heart?!" She sat up quickly, eyes wide. "How long has he been gone? Has he found it?"

Her father sighed.

"He's been gone just a few weeks now."

"Bastard didn't tell me," she grumbled, no real heat in her voice.

"He respected the fact you're in a career now and have a life," he retorted. "You can't drop everything to go gallivanting off after a story."

"I grew up on that story, Dad. I used to daydream about finding it myself when I was a little girl. If Pops finds it without me, I'm going to be very upset!"

Lawson grunted.

"You're as obsessed with it as he is."

"Am not," she protested. "I'm not packing everything up to go after him."

"That's only because he didn't tell you when he was leaving," Lawson grumbled.

"No, it's only because I have dinner plans," she replied.

Suddenly, she heard the front door open and a pleasant male voice called, "Babe?"

"Oh! I have to go, Dad."

"The man of the hour just arrived?"

"The one and only. I'll touch bases with you later."

She hung up and was just tugging the Echo off when Handsome Jack entered the room.

"Sweet cheeks," he greeted.

"Just finished talking to my dad," she explained, gesturing with the Echo.

"What? You didn't keep him on the line so I could chat with him?" He settled down on the couch beside her while she smiled.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for you to meet my dad," she responded. "Or, maybe he's not ready to meet you."

"Oh, come on now, I'm a great guy to know!"

She laughed and leaned in to him.

"I certainly think so." She followed up her words with a slow kiss. He slid an arm around her and tucked her close, his free hand creeping across her skin beneath her shirt. She indulged herself in his taste and warmth, slipping up into his lap. He reached up under her clothes and undid her bra.

"I thought we were going out to dinner," she giggled.

"Mm… We can go out a little later," he replied, as he tugged her shirt over her head.

"Will we make it out once we get started?"

"Eh, maybe we'll go out for breakfast instead."

Once he tossed aside her clothes, he ran his hand down the Siren markings, tracing them. She watched his motions curiously.

"Don't worry, babe," he assured her, mistaking her study for concern. "I'm really not going to run."

His promise made her grin.

"I figured that after round three."

He chuckled and lifted her arm, indicating the tattoos.

"I didn't get a chance to ask earlier. What is your Siren power? Is it just awesome sex? Cause don't get me wrong, I'd be perfectly fine with that."

She smiled.

"No, that just seems to be a pleasant side effect."

"Some side effect. Not that I'm complaining."

"Neither am I. My power is Phasemend. I'm a healer."

"Healer?"

"Yup. I can seal open wounds, mend broken bones, stop internal bleeding, soothe aches and pains, et cetera, et cetera."

"Seriously? Any wound or damage?"

"Most anything I've come across, with some exceptions. Lost limbs are beyond my power, I can't regenerate them, and I generally can't do much for old injuries that have already scarred, but fresh wounds or trauma I can typically repair."

He studied her thoughtfully for a long moment and she cocked her head to the side.

"What is it? You changing your mind? You going to run from me?"

"Oh, no, no. I was just wondering what effects you might be able to achieve if we boosted your power."

She looked like she might question after his thoughts, but before she could, he shook his head.

"Nah… We can look into that later. I'll mull that over." He kissed her deeply. "I have far more important things to consider right now."

She smirked.

"Like christening this house?"

"Sweet cheeks, you sure your power isn't reading minds?"

/

/

Azrae set aside the final enhanced EMP she had been spending the last few weeks creating. They were finally done. Everything was starting to align. They had brought in new soldiers, the EMPs were ready to be installed, and they had caused enough chaos in Handsome Jack's affairs that the response crews were stretched thin. There were some final touches left to set up, but they were almost ready to make a move. The only two issues still outstanding were Maya and Harolt.

"Azrae," a voice rumbled suddenly. She spun around to see Zer0 standing in the room calmly as if he had been there for hours.

"Zer0," she greeted. "Any luck with Harolt?"

"He is distracted/Dark eyes and red hair call in/Opportunity."

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you saying he's too close to his mark?"

"She is mark no more."

"What?" Anger clouded over Azrae's face. "He's been ignoring us and slacking in his duties because he fell in love with this girl?!"

"He is blinded to duty."

"He's blinded to the danger to us all!" she burst out. "If he's already falling lax in one area, it's only a matter of time before something is revealed that could end us! I would bet any amount of money he hasn't even started to try and indoctrinate her."

"I will not bet you."

She spun back to face her desk, her eyes going to the EMP, but she didn't really see it. Long, slow breaths escaped her as she worked to control her temper.

"There is good in this," Zer0 stated from behind her.

"And what is that?" she demanded over her shoulder.

"The lady works within the/Heart of R&D."

Azrae turned and faced the Assassin once more. A long moment of silence stretched between them and then she let out a breath between her teeth.

"Ok. Ok. Maybe all's not lost. I'll hunt him down and see what I can do. But I may need you if I can't talk some sense into him."

Zer0 simply tipped his head forward in acknowledgment.

/

/

"Guess what, guys?" Alexander called from the door.

"That even in our new job you have to be late at least once a week?" Lucille replied, not looking up from her workstation.

"It _is_ almost lunchtime, Alexander," Nadie added, her lips quirked in irritation. "That's late, even for you."

"I swear, I'm going to make it up to you, Nadie." He leaned down and to the side and picked up two bags stuffed full with boxes that he had intentionally left out of sight. Steam rose from the boxes, and he immediately had both women's attentions.

"Is that…?" Nadie began slowly.

"Celebratory lunch!" Alexander pronounced excitedly.

"Hell yeah!" Lucille exclaimed, dropping everything she had been doing to come inspect the feast. Nadie joined her, looking over the dishes as he started opening them up.

"Good heavens, that's a lot of food," the gunsmith observed.

"Yup. You get to take home all the leftovers, Nadie."

"What?!" Lucille demanded. Alexander grinned.

"Kidding, kidding. There will be plenty of leftovers for everyone." As he started dolling at portions, he continued, "And save room, cause Gerty's coming up with more."

"Fantastic! Is she staying for lunch?" Nadie inquired.

"You know Gerty," he laughed. "She'll never say no to spending time with you girls. She tells me she needs to spend more time with people who are manlier than me." He pouted. Lucille laughed while Nadie smiled.

"It's ok, Alexander, we still love you even if you are a wuss."

"Ack! I am not!"

The girls just laughed.

"How's she taking the fact you're making more than she is now?" Nadie asked curiously.

"I'm not," Alexander replied simply. Both Nadie and Lucille looked at each other in surprise and then back at him.

"Seriously?" Lucille sputtered.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'm a lot closer now."

"You are just never going to be the primary bread winner, are you, Alexander?" Nadie chuckled. Alexander beamed at her.

"Never even if I tried. Besides, I think Gerty likes it this way. She thinks of me as her kept man."

/

/

"You can't keep avoiding me," Azrae commented simply, staring at Harolt's back. He flinched and then slowly turned from watching Lucille wave him off and head home from their date.

"Azrae," he sighed, already knowing how the conversation was going to go. He had been dreading it for the last few weeks.

"Harolt…"

"I haven't breathed a word about it to her, Azrae. Yeah, I know, I should have been swaying her to our side. But she's been a Hyperion lifer. I don't know if I could swing her our way. And if I can't…" He trailed off, face collapsing into frustration.

"You fell in love with her." It wasn't a question, but he nodded miserably.

"I don't want her to get hurt, Azrae."

"Harolt, we need the information she has access to," she entreated softly, stepping forward and putting a hand on his arm. "I know you don't want to hurt her, but if we lose your help, we lose our one chance to try and take back Pandora and bring Handsome Jack to justice. Or is that something you've given up on?"

"No." He looked up at her, heat in his gaze. "I still hear my sister's screams in my dreams at night. He needs to die for what he's done." He blew a long breath out between his teeth.

"I'm sorry, Az. I got lost for a while. It's just… Lucille…"

"She quieted the screams."

"Yeah."

Azrae sighed and started hunting through her pockets.

"Ah! Here it is." She pulled out a tiny little electronic device barely bigger than a pen point tucked in a small plastic bag.

"I figured this might be a problem, so I made this for you."

"What is it?" he asked as he very carefully took it.

"Just a little listening device. Drop it into her hair—it'll latch on to a few strands and just hang out there. It will feed me any data it picks up. This way we get what we need, and your lady stays safe and uninvolved."

"Thank you, Azrae!" he burst out and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"So, you back on board?"

"Always. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Yeah, yeah. Who am I to get in the way of a lady's man caught in a woman's net."

"You'll find someone, Az," he assured her. She smiled a little.

"I doubt it. I'm too heartless. Now, take care of that bug. I only made the one."

"Gotcha." Harolt carefully stored the device in his pocket, hugged her, and quickly headed further into Opportunity, presumably after his lover. Azrae frowned as she watched him go.

"This is going to be a problem."

/

/

Nadie let out a slow, tired sigh as she let her shoes fall off her feet and pushed the door closed behind her. She had called it quits at seven, a few hours after Lucille and Alexander had left for the day. In the safety of her home, she pulled off her long sleeved shirt to let her skin breathe, tossing the shirt on the couch as she passed through to the kitchen.

"Burning the candle at both ends, huh, babe?" Handsome Jack questioned as she came into the room. She stopped in her tracks and looked him over. He was lounged back in a chair at the table, feet up on one of the other chairs. A mostly empty plate sat in front of him—clearly he had helped himself to the leftovers in her fridge.

"There is still so much work to do… The former director left that department a mess. I see you went poking around my fridge. I guess I'll have to figure out what I'm having for dinner."

"I got hungry waiting for you, sweet cheeks, and since I'm not supposed to interrupt you while you're working or some such nonsense, I made myself at home. In other news, holy hell, did you make this?" He gestured to the food with a fork before taking another bite. She chuckled.

"Oh, I wish. My cooking is palatable, but that's about all I can say for it. Alexander made that."

Handsome Jack swallowed and looked back at her in surprise.

"Squeaky made this?"

"Yup, believe it or not."

"Holy crap. Do you think he'd come over and cook us dinner?"

"You're still hungry after that?" she laughed. "If _you_ asked him, I have no doubt of it."

He rubbed his chin in thought.

"Would he cook every night?"

She smiled and shook her head.

"For you, absolutely, but I'd prefer you didn't ask that of him. Being out every night would almost positively strain his relationship with his wife."

"Wife?" Hyperion's president repeated, brow crooked. "He's married?"

"Yup."

"To a woman?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Huh." He leaned back in his seat. "I wouldn't have guessed it."

"Heh. He is actually straight, just fairly effeminate. The only place that line gets fuzzy is when it comes to you."

When he frowned in response, she continued, "What can I say? Everyone's gay for someone. That someone for him is you."

Handsome Jack snorted.

"At least he has good tastes."

"I think so," Nadie agreed as she leaned down and gave him a long kiss. One of his hands brushed the skin of her side.

"Getting ready for playtime, babe?" he teased, his hands exploring her curves.

"No." She kissed him once more and straightened. "I just don't enjoy wearing fully covering clothes all the time. I have been known to walk around my house nude. With these things," and she gestured to the tattoos, "it's all or nothing."

"I have wondered about that. How do you not melt in that much fabric?"

She filled a glass of water up and took a sip.

"I'm a healer. My power keeps my body at an even temperature at all times, as long as the environment isn't too extreme. I can walk in sweatpants in the desert during the day and shorts and a tank top in the snow at night if I want. I just don't."

"So you never get too cold or too hot?"

"Not without being near nitrogen or magma. I also never get sick, poisoning me is difficult to say the least, and people have to make shots at me count, because if it isn't debilitating, I get better real quick."

He grinned.

"And to top it off, you're gorgeous and smart. You're like the best resilient, terrifying, and dangerous girlfriend a company's president could ask for."

She laughed at that.

"I aim to please."

Before either could say any further, her stomach growled loudly. She frowned down at it while he chuckled.

"You may be difficult to kill, but you still require all the basic necessities."

"What can I say? It takes energy to keep my body and powers going."

He held out his hand to her.

"Gimme your Echo. I'm going to call Squeaky over."

"All right," she agreed slowly, handing over the Echo, "but if his wife picks up, her name is Gertrude, and be nice."

"Gertrude?" he repeated questioningly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Yes. She's a lovely lady and if we ever need her help, she's always there for us. So seriously, be nice."

"Babe, I am the epitome of nice," he retorted even as he sent out the communication. He ignored her snort of disbelief.

Nadie heard a female voice come through her Echo after a moment and watched his brows arch up.

"Gertrude, I presume? Goodness, you sound as big—ah, is your husband home?" he continued quickly as Nadie shot him a pointed smirk. A moment of silence passed while he tapped the table impatiently.

"Squeaky!" he greeted when he heard Alexander come on the line. "Ah, there it is," he sighed, quickly pulling the Echo away from his ear as Alexander's squeal came through it. He waited a moment before replacing it.

"Yes, yes, I know I'm amazing, but you gotta stop doing that. It's annoying. Now, you need to come to Nadie's new place. We're hungry and want you to cook—" He fell silent, blinking in surprise, and then turned to Nadie in stunned annoyance.

"He hung up on me!"

The gunsmith started laughing.

"He probably got so excited that all he could think of was to get here as soon as possible. I guess I should go put a top back on." She stepped out into the living room to reclaim her shirt while Handsome Jack crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.

"He's so infatuated he would hang up on me just to get here sooner? Hell, it's like another Naka… Nekatima."

"Who?" she questioned, tugging her shirt back on over her head as she returned to the kitchen. He waved a dismissive hand.

"One of the R&D geneticists. I'm sure you've seen some report or another from him."

She frowned as she ran over names in her head and then shrugged.

"I've seen so many names recently, I can't say there are any bells ringing in my head."

"Don't worry about it, babe." He dropped his feet from the chair and caught her hand, tugging her over. She settled into his lap.

"What you should be worrying about is what are we going to do with our spare time until he gets here."

She tangled her fingers in his shirt and kissed him slowly, but reluctantly pulled away after a moment.

"We don't have that much time, sadly."

"What? It's probably going to take him close to an hour to get here, even if he has everything he needs."

"Oh, my dear, you don't understand the depths of his devotion. I give him about twenty minutes."

"No way. I'll give him credit for his cooking, but I don't believe he can teleport himself across town."

"Care to make a bet of it, sweetheart?" She leaned down into him, brushing her lips across his. He took a long breath, indulging in her scent, and his hands crept under her shirt to brush across her skin.

"Oh no," he retorted, grinning. "I learned a long time ago never to bet with Sirens."

"Pity," she purred softly. "How can I have my wicked way with you if you don't let me get the upper hand?"

He grinned.

"Ask nicely."

They lost track of time after that and didn't come back into reality until they heard Alexander's breathless greeting of, "I'm here!" as the front door opened. Handsome Jack untangled himself from the gunsmith's arms and glanced at the clock.

"Damn. Twenty-three minutes."

"I told you," she chuckled. "We're in here!" she called to let the blonde haired man know where they were. As he huffed into the room holding two huge bags, Hyperion's president sat up, pulling Nadie with him.

"Sorry," Alexander puffed, "had to stop to pick up some spices. Lady in front of me was paying with exact change and couldn't find all the coins. Seriously, who even uses live money these days?"

"People who want to get in your way?" Nadie offered helpfully.

"Gee, thanks," he wheezed.

"So, Squeaky, what's on the menu?" Handsome Jack questioned. Alexander looked up and made a breathless gasp that might have been a squeak. Handsome Jack frowned and held up a finger.

"Nuh-uh. If you can't talk, get in the kitchen and get to work."

Alexander opened his mouth, closed it, and quickly gathered up his groceries and scampered into the kitchen. Both watched him go and then Nadie chuckled.

"At least he didn't succumb to squeakdom. That's an improvement."

"If you say so, babe," he commented idly.

"So, how's the bandit hunt going?" she inquired into the following quiet. His face collapsed into frustration and she immediately regretted asking.

"Not good. No one's found any signs of the lowlifes, and one of my factories gets repaired just in time for another to go down. It's irritating and costing me far and away more than it should." She could feel him stiffen in anger and she responded to it, tucking herself against him. His arm slipped around her as she brushed her nose under his chin, but his grip on her was tighter than was comfortable.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go take a walk?" she offered gently. She ran her hand through his hair, trying to use the contact to soothe him. "I hate to see you so riled over this."

"I'm not riled," he retorted sharply, but she felt his fingers dig into her skin. From her place pressed against him, she could feel his heartrate spike. She let out a slow, silent breath, thinking fast.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I'm just trying to be helpful."

There was a tense moment in which she watched him closely, waiting to see how he was going to respond, but the danger was diffused when Alexander padded out of the kitchen, carrying two plates.

"Not dinner," he informed them as he placed them on the table, "just snacks to tide you over until I'm done."

He didn't look up at them and quickly scampered back into the kitchen, disappearing from view. Nadie pointed after him.

"See? No squeaks this time!"

Handsome Jack snorted, but she could see some of the tightness in his shoulders relax.

"There is hope." He loosened his grip on her to lean forward and study the appetizers. They were fairly simple-looking, one plate filled with some sort of spring rolls, and the other a tartlet covered with cheese. He glanced back at her.

"Suggestions?"

"The spring rolls are excellent, he's made those for us before. The tartlets are new. I haven't had those ones."

He picked up two, handing her one. He was about to take a bite, but paused to watch her as she blew on hers a time or two before risking lava hot cheese burns. He crooked an eyebrow at her.

"I thought heat and cold didn't bother you." An amused smirk curled his lips.

"I was talking about temperature of the area around me," she replied with a chuckle. "My body can adjust rapidly, but I still feel the temperature changes. Similarly, food that's too hot is still too hot. I may be a healer and incredibly resilient, but I'm not unfeeling. Just because walking in very little clothing in the snow won't kill me doesn't mean I find it comfortable. I don't enjoy burning myself if I don't have to."

When he smiled, she popped the tartlet into her mouth.

"Oooh! These are good!"

With her endorsement, he followed her lead and bit down on his, savoring the flavor.

"Wow. How'd he manage to make something this good so fast?"

"I'm pretty sure he's a wizard."

He finished off the tartlet and then helped himself to a spring roll. She took another tartlet and leaned back in the couch, enjoying the taste.

"Damn, he's good," Handsome Jack complimented, taking another tartlet and sitting back himself. "Are you sure he won't cook for me every night? I'm positive he's better than my personal chefs."

"Oh, he would, but he shouldn't."

"But sweet cheeks…" he protested, gesturing with the snack he was holding. She smiled and nestled back up against him.

"He may be a fantastic chef, but that's not a reason to risk his relationship with his wife."

"But, babe, _I'd_ be happy. Isn't that what matters?"

She slid into his lap, straddling his hips.

"Of course it matters," she assured him, taking the tartlet he had been holding and offered it to him. He bit down on it as she continued, "But Gerty takes good care of him. He needs her and vice versa. Besides, I need him in the lab. He is my assistant, after all."

His brows crooked upward and he swallowed the tartlet.

"Are you telling me that you won't let me have him?"

She hesitated a moment before deciding to commit to the battle.

"Yup, I am."

"Babe!" he objected, blinking in surprise. "I thought you wanted to be helpful! Making him my personal chef would be the embodiment of helpful!"

"Mm, I'm sure it would be," she replied, leaning down to brush her lips across his, her fingers starting to tug at his jacket. "But he helps out in the lab, and he has tasks I need him for."

"Sweetheart, I'm sure we can find a replacement," he assured her even as his hands started roaming across her sides and back.

"No one quite like him," the gunsmith responded as he leaned forward to let her pull his jacket down his arms and toss it aside.

"But it would make me happy," he pointed out as he tugged her shirt up over her head.

"I have no doubt of that," she agreed with a purr, bending down to tug on his ear with her teeth. He groaned softly, hands going to her hips, grinding her against him.

"But I'm pretty sure I'm more than capable of making you happy," she murmured. A growl of anticipation stole from his throat as her hands slid underneath his shirt.

"Ok," he acknowledged. "Plans have changed. Squeaky? Squeaky!"

Alexander hurried out of the kitchen and stopped dead when he found his boss and his boss' boss entangled together on the couch, already half unclothed. Nadie was in the process of divesting Hyperion's president of his shirt, completely ignoring the gun designer's presence. Handsome Jack's fingers were buried in her hair which hung loose around her shoulders, a state he had only once before seen it in, and all across the side of her that faced him were intricate blue tattoos.

Without looking up from the place his nose was buried in her throat, Handsome Jack ordered firmly, "Get. Out!"

"Buh—I—" Alexander started to protest, stumbling over his words, before snapping his mouth shut and reconsidering the act of arguing. He slipped back into the kitchen, packed up what little items he had finished and put them into the fridge before gathering up the rest of his groceries. Once he had everything, he took a back path out of the house that led him nowhere near the main living room to give his supervisors their privacy. He would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed, but Alexander was patient. He knew there would be other opportunities, even if he had to encourage Nadie to allow them. He had no doubt he could do it. She was open to culinary bribery, after all.


	12. Chapter 11

"We ready?" Brick demanded the moment he stepped into the war room. He limped heavily and Tina Tiny hovered as inconspicuously nearby as she could in case the big man lost his footing. He stopped at the table and leaned on it, trying not to show how difficult the walk across the compound was for him.

"Just about," Tanis replied as she clicked off her Echo recorder. Her desk was an orderly chaos with papers and equipment spread across it in equal parts bedlam and strategic organization. He looked around the empty room and scowled.

"I thought this was the pre-battle meeting. Where is everyone?"

"I assume by 'everyone' you are actually referring to the relevant decision makers," the former Dahl scientist retorted. "You needn't concern yourself—our engineer and Assassin are in Opportunity as we speak, preparing for the assault, Asha should be joining us shortly, and our tactical expert will enter in but a moment."

Brick's eyes narrowed and Tina stepped up beside him, almost close enough to touch him.

"What expert?" the young woman demanded, a hand brushing her bag nervously.

"No need for that, sugar," a female voice purred. Both Brick and Tina looked up sharply at the curvaceous woman who sauntered into the room.

"Moxxi," Brick greeted, grinning broadly despite the painful tug on the nearly healed wounds across his face.

"Where have you been, babe of badonkalicious?" Tina half yelled excitedly, bouncing on her toes. Moxxi drew up to the table and crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

"Been layin' low, sweetheart. Just watching the way the wind was blowing. But it sounds like you have all your rakks in a row. Figured you could use my help." She gave them an impish smile.

"You're a damn fine sight for sore eyes, Mox," the big man replied. "Thanks for coming."

"Oh, don't thank me yet, you big lug. There was no way I would stand idly by while that psychopath takes over my home. I just had to find the right moment to step in."

"Which is of course now, seeing as we've done all the work," Tanis observed, face neutral. The other woman stared at her for a long moment and a tense silence stretched for several heartbeats. It was interrupted as Asha came into the war room, looking perplexed.

"I just don't get it," she began, shaking her head. "I can't get rid of them."

"What is it?" Tanis queried. Her brows quirked together, the closest thing the scientist could manage to a concerned expression.

"The skags."

"They're still out there? Even when you have ordered them to leave?"

"Yeah. They go away for a little while, but as soon as I stop watching, they come back. Plus, it's not just them anymore. There are dozens of rakks out there now, and I'm sure I've seen some stalker activity. And the crazy thing is, they aren't being hostile. They haven't attacked anyone. They're just sitting there, like they're waiting for something."

"Someone, actually," a hoarse female voice interrupted. Everyone looked up sharply to see Maya leaning wearily on the inner door.

"Maya, darling!" Moxxi exclaimed in concern. "What happened?"

"What precisely do you mean by 'someone,' Maya?" Tanis prompted. The burned Siren gave them all a tired, but triumphant smile.

"I found something in that Vault. Something that will change all the rules we've been playing by."

/

/

The elevator doors made a soft whoosh in the early morning quiet of the lab as they opened. Nadie didn't look up immediately, expecting it to be one of the lab techs coming in, but Alexander's cheery, "Good morning, Nadie!" brought her face right up with an astonished expression on her features.

"Alexander? You're here awfully early. It's…" She glanced at a clock. "Seven thirty? I didn't think you existed until after nine a.m."

"I figured I'd bring you this," he replied, holding out a bag with some packages. When she gave him a quizzical look, he clarified, "I went home and finished cooking dinner. Figured you could use it tonight or something."

"Oh, Alexander," she hissed sheepishly, frowning in regret. "I'm really sorry about that."

"It's ok, Nadie, I see how it is. You steal the love of my life—"

"I thought that was Gerty," the gunsmith interrupted.

"Then you invite me over to cook for him," Alexander continued without acknowledging her observation, "and I get there only to be shooed out almost immediately after without getting a chance to fulfill my one purpose." He finished by pouting sadly at her. She waved a finger at him.

"Ok, I felt bad at first, but you're laying it on a little thick."

"It's ok," he assured her, his tone forlorn. "I missed out on my one opportunity to cook for my idol."

"I highly doubt that will be your one chance. He's quite taken with your cooking."

"No, I had my shot at cooking for him and becoming his personal chef, but you wouldn't let it happen. That dream is over. It's gone now. Forever lost. Hope abandoned. I'll just have to never cook or bake for you again as punishment, Nadie." His voice was airy like he was in shock and grief.

"Oh, hey now, that's taking things a bit far," she protested, setting her paperwork aside. "Look, I know I hurt your feelings. I'm really sorry. It's just that…" She hesitated, choosing her words carefully before continuing, "Jack is a man who has not been told 'no' in a very, very long time. Or, if he has, that person hasn't lived long enough to regret it. But if our relationship is to work, I _have_ to be able to tell him no sometimes. I have to establish boundaries. Right now that means I have to pick my fights very carefully and get him used to hearing me say 'no.' And in this case, you were the safe fight to pick."

"Nadie…" Alexander whimpered.

"I know. I'm sorry, Alexander. Maybe in a while we can revisit the option. I'm sure he would not hesitate to steal you from me."

"Huff." He frowned, pouting, and crossed his arms over his chest. She could tell he wasn't really angry; he was just disappointed.

"You're lucky I adore you, Nadie," the gun designer informed her primly. "If Lucille had pulled this, she would never have lived it down."

She smiled. "Alexander, I know damn well _I'm_ not going to live it down."

"That's not true! I'd give Lucille way more crap than you if she was in your place." He nodded firmly.

"That's also because you'd be afraid she'd love him and leave him," Nadie pointed out with a smile. He fidgeted for a moment and then shrugged a little in embarrassment.

"I wasn't sure I'd ever see the day when she'd settle down."

"Well, I haven't heard a peep of complaint about Harolt, aside from him not leaving his dirty shoes by the door." She grinned. "And I'm pretty sure Lucille can live with that."

"I dunno," Alexander retorted, "you know how she gets about her clean floors…"

"When they're married, she can yell at him about her floors all she wants."

"I wonder what the color theme of the wedding is going to be?" he mused. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a head start on prep work."

"Do you know you're lab partner? It's going to be red, mark my words."

Alexander chuckled. "A red wedding. Wouldn't that be something?"

/

/

"Ms. Tirrell, I believe you have made an error on your requisition form," Mister Blake began with no preamble, stepping out of the elevator. It was long after closing time, and both her subordinates had been gone for a few hours.

"I don't believe I have, Mister Blake, but do come in and I'll see if I can assuage your concerns," Nadie replied from the desk still boasting an unfortunate amount of paperwork, forms, and bills to go through. The piles had become much more organized over the prior couple of weeks, and they had slowly begun to diminish, but between keeping the department running, managing the product flow in and out, and unannounced visits from her employer and lover, the work wasn't progressing as quickly as she'd like.

"Coffee?" she offered, gesturing to the pot. "It's fresh made. Gets me through these dull reports."

Mister Blake looked like he was about to refuse, and then he reconsidered. He walked over and poured himself a cup while she finished signing off on another report and tossed it into the outbox. Mister Blake took a sip and walked to the desk.

"Mm. Luwak. Good choice."

"One of the only things I splurge on," she explained. "I was thoroughly addicted to coffee at an early age… My father was always up at all hours, which meant I was up at all hours. I've gotten picky over the years."

"I imagine the new income helps," he commented idly. She smirked a little.

"It does… But I'd probably throw myself out of Opportunity by wasting all my money on good coffee."

Mister Blake didn't smile, but she noticed the corners of his lips twitched.

"Now," she said, changing the topic, "this form you say I made an error on?"

He handed it to her and she looked it over, quickly running the numbers in her head.

"You seem to have requested enough material that it would put you over your allotted margin by 40%, but you've only totaled the costs up to 80% of your budgeted allowance."

"Oh, that," she acknowledged with a toothy grin. "In going over the requisitions for the last six months, it seems the supply department was hiking the pricing of the requested items so they had to provide less to R&D and give themselves some extra cushion. It wasn't much… just a percent or two here and there, but it's probably cost the R&D department thousands, if not tens of thousands. I have no doubt if I went further back than six months, it would be the same story. So I sent my requisition form with a… polite letter explaining my reasoning for asking for the amount at the costs I did. The form on file did not include my hand written letter."

"Ms. Tirrell…"

"If you'd like to see it, I've kept a copy." She went to one of her drawers, unlocked it, and pulled out a three page letter covered in her script. He took it and read it over, taking his time. Nadie continued to sip her coffee, watching him for any response. Mister Blake's face never changed, much to her disappointment, but he finished reviewing the letter and looked up at her, tapping it thoughtfully with a finger.

"It is… creative," he finally stated. "I don't think I've ever heard a threat of quite this nature. It's… delicate, thorough, and frankly, quite intimidating. Plus you did not rely on your position nor your relationship with our employer as leverage. I would never have thought you capable of even considering such bloodlust. Would you actually act on such a vow?"

"I'm a Pandoran girl," Nadie replied. "I play for keeps." She took a slow sip of her coffee, watching him over the rim of her cup. He studied her letter for a long moment, and then glanced up at her once more.

"I wonder…. Might you be willing to assist me in an endeavor?"

"Oh?" She set the cup aside and fixed her full attention on him.

"Hyperion has begun negotiations with some of the other weapon companies for the purposes of a few select projects in an effort to broach some mutual gain for both parties and to establish some inroads for us with our competitors. If you might be willing to take some extra work on your plate, I would appreciate your assistance in drafting up both some opening correspondence as well as a contract."

Nadie smiled.

"I would be happy to help."

He handed her back the letter.

"I think we will get along just fine, Ms. Tirrell."

"I am pleased to hear that, Mister Blake."

/

/

Lawson stood outside Erikeep's gate, the edges of his jacket swinging gently in the breeze, a neutral expression on his face, marred only by the hint of a frown around his eyes. He had been standing there silently for some time, unmoving and hyper vigilant like some immortal stone guardian.

"Sir, are you all right?" Valnea inquired, approaching him carefully from behind. She wasn't afraid of him—Lawson was a pinnacle of self-control and she had never once seen him lash out in anger or retaliation, but bottling things up was his daily response to anything that irked him. She wasn't afraid of him or for him—she only felt pity for the idiot who poked the bullymong into action.

"Something's coming, Cheval," he stated, his deep rumble coming to her even from her place behind him.

"Do your old bones ache?" she replied. Normally, she wouldn't dare tease her supervisor, but every once in a while he let her get away with it.

Lawson grunted.

"I'm old enough to see the signs, Cheval. No bandit attacks for months, not a peep from any of the local wildlife. The only injuries in town have been simple accident or neglect. It's just been too damn quiet."

"You sure you aren't overcompensating for Nadie's absence?"

"No." The word was said with complete certainly. "My little girl found plenty of trouble, but this ain't her kind of trouble. I don't know what it is. I don't know why it is. I just know it's coming."

"What do you want us to do, sir?"

He let out a short sigh.

"Right now? Just keep your eyes open and be ready. That's about all we can do."

Valnea sighed.

"It's the wait that kills you."

"Mm."

/

/

Handsome Jack woke and yawned, carefully stretching as not to disturb the green haired woman curled around him. Nadie murmured and tucked herself closer to him, one arm snaking around his chest. He studied her for a moment, brushing a finger across her cheek. He had found that the nights he had stayed sheerly for company meant that the Siren didn't sleep long—she was usually up after four or five hours. However, when they spent the evening, and a decent chunk of the night, enjoying each other's attentions, she tended to stay asleep far longer, oftentimes sleeping later than himself.

For a few minutes he watched her, appreciating the view, and then he leaned down and brushed his lips across her throat. She let out a low sigh and opened her eyes languidly.

"Mm. Good morning," she greeted, stretching slowly.

"Morning," he purred and bit down on her throat lightly. Nadie squeaked and her hands grasped at his back, pulling him against her. One of his hands slipped down her torso, sliding between her thighs. A growl escaped her and she leaned up to grip his earlobe with her teeth.

"I see you're awake now," he said, the heat of his breath tumbling across his skin.

"You do have a knack for getting my complete and undivided attention," she replied, sliding a leg over his. "What time is it?"

"Already too late," he assured her, his exploration becoming more insistent. She moaned softly, her own hands beginning to caress across his chest. He leaned down and kissed her, tongue diving into his mouth, and she tugged at him impatiently. He shifted his grip and rolled into her embrace, kissing her deeply, enjoying the warmth of her and her eager response to his attentions.

"Let's stay in bed today," he murmured in her ear, hands running across her skin. She shivered in anticipation, but still knew she had to be responsible enough to question the idea.

"Don't you have a meeting today, sweetheart?"

She felt him freeze for a moment above her and then he buried his face in her throat, a muffled growl of irritation coming from him.

"It's a board meeting, babe," he grumbled. "It's called that for a reason."

"Because it's boring?" she chuckled. "You still have to go to it."

"Sweet cheeks, are you saying you're going to make me go? You're going to kick me out of your bed?" He sat up to give her a pout. She reached up and brushed her fingers across his nose.

"I would never kick you out. But you should go. This has been in the works for weeks. It's your first board meeting in… years, isn't it?"

He snorted.

"It's been years for a reason, babe." He leaned back down and kissed along her cheek and across her neck, attempting to distract her. She sighed in pleasure and stretched out beneath him, enjoying his attentions.

"It's good for the company," she continued, but she could feel her resolve starting to weaken.

"And this is good for me," he retorted gently as he settled in-between her thighs.

"So is making money," she pointed out, her last attempt at redirecting his priorities before giving up the battle. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, that last protest seemed to hit home. He growled in frustration and bit down on her throat while her fingers tangled in his hair in response.

"Fine, babe, fine. You win." He rolled away from her to swing his feet off the bed. She released him grudgingly, biting her lip to keep from backtracking and pulling him into the bed once more.

"But you'd better plan to be out of the office for the rest of the week," he told her sternly, and she could hear the lust, need, and irritation in his voice. "We are not leaving this bedroom for the foreseeable future once this meeting is over."

She grinned, caught between breathlessness and anticipation.

"Noted. I'll bring the water."

He finished dressing and winked salaciously at her.

"I'll bring the meat."

"Jack!" she yelped, bursting into giggles. He grinned and closed the door behind him, leaving her to the descending quiet of the room. She let out a slow breath and dropped back across the bed.

"That man is going to be the death of me. That's… impressive. I didn't think someone like that existed." She stared up at the celling and smiled.

"I guess I'll keep him."

/

/

Azrae, hair up and dressed in Hyperion yellows to masquerade as repair crew, snapped the last EMP into place.

"Let the games begin," she murmured to herself. She flicked the power switch into the on position and listened to the device thrum to life. Soft chirps and clicks rattled off as it linked up to its brethren scattered throughout the city of Opportunity. An even thrum came from it as it settled into low-power mode, waiting for its full activation.

"Ok, the toys are in place."


	13. Chapter 12

"Nadie? Nadie!"

The gunsmith jolted, turning to regard Lucille. The red headed woman was studying her with an amused smile. Nadie glanced passed her to see Alexander leaning over the drafting board, but he was watching her and grinning.

"What?" she demanded of them both irritably.

"That's the third time we've lost you today."

"I don't think we've ever seen you this unfocused," Alexander observed, humor lacing his voice.

"I'm fine," she retorted sharply.

"You're anything but fine," Lucille chuckled. "You are so twisted up you look like you're about to pop."

"I'm fine," Nadie repeated again.

"Look, Lucille, our little girl's growing up," Alexander all but cooed. "She's discovering a world beyond work."

Nadie rolled her eyes.

"Cut it out, you two. I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired, is all."

Lucille and Alexander exchanged a look, grinning impishly.

"Tired, huh?" Lucille questioned. "Like you need a little pick me up? I bet I know where you can get that…" She trailed off suggestively.

"Don't even think about it," the gunsmith instructed.

"A bit of exercise is great for getting some energy," Alexander offered helpfully.

"Alexander…"

"I'm sure he'd love to see you," Lucille assured her. The gunsmith sighed.

"He's in a board meeting, Lucille. I can't interrupt that. It's been years since he's had one. The company could really use it."

"If he's as riled as you are, I think the company would be better suited by you going to him," Alexander commented idly.

"Alexander's right," Lucille agreed. "Besides, board meetings are called that for a reason. I know for sure if Harolt or any significant other I had was even half as wound up as you are, I would have called in sick and never come in."

"Lucille…"

"Nadie." Lucille took her hand and patted it. "Let's be honest. You're not useful to us right now. Your mind is nowhere near the lab. Frankly, _you_ shouldn't even be in the lab. Go. Get out of here. We can handle the lab for one day."

She winced.

"It might be more than one day if I go."

Lucille let out a little whistle.

"I didn't hear that, otherwise I might have to be jealous."

"Lucille!" Alexander exclaimed. She grinned and shrugged.

"I can't help it. He _is_ handsome."

Alexander let out a horrified squeak.

"Lucille! You're not allowed to drool over him. He's mine to drool over!"

The mod designer rolled her eyes.

"In your dreams, Alexander. He's Nadie's."

"No, he's Nadie's to drool _on_! I get to drool _over_ him!"

Lucille shook her head and focused on Nadie once more.

"Nadie, get out of here."

When the gunsmith hesitated, Lucille waved a shooing hand at her.

"Go. Before Alexander goes and gets himself shot."

"Hey…"

Nadie smiled and nodded.

"Well, if it's to save Alexander…"

"Nadie!"

"It's all for the best interest of Alexander," Lucille agreed seriously.

"Lucille!"

"Well, if that's the case, I guess I will go. I can't let anything happen to him," Nadie said.

"You girls are so mean," Alexander grumbled, pouting. Both women laughed and then Nadie sobered.

"Are you sure?"

"Seriously. Get out. If you don't, I'm going to have that big guy down in biology throw you out."

"All right, all right. I'll leave the department in your hands."

The gunsmith took her leave, disappearing into the elevator, her pace hurried. Lucille put her hand on her hips and sighed.

"What are we going to do with that girl, Alexander?"

When she didn't get a response, she twisted to look at her lab partner. Alexander was busily packing up his supplies and cleaning up his desk area.

"Oh, come on. Did we upset you so much you're leaving?"

"Huh?" He looked up. "Oh no. Today's my early day, remember? I have to go pick up the kids from daycare."

"Drat. I forgot. And I just kicked Nadie out. Well crap." She frowned crossly.

"Have fun running the department!" Alexander wished her cheerily. He scampered out of the lab before she could think of some reason for him to stay.

"I only have myself to blame," Lucille grumbled.

/

/

The poor secretary at the door to the conference room had no idea what to do with Nadie when she came into the reception area. She gave the gunsmith a cheery smile which quickly faded into a frown when she realized Nadie had no intention of checking in or speaking with her.

"Miss, you can't go in there!" she yelped when Nadie swept right past her toward the closed doors. The gunsmith ignored the secretary, and the poor woman got as far as the edge of the desk when the cord attached to her headset went taught and pulled her off her feet. She squealed as she went over. Nadie didn't let the opportunity pass by—she strode straight up to the double doors and shoved them open, stepping into the room beyond.

It was every bit the expected conference room; large windows allowed in ample light, a long table stretched down the length of the room, cushy chairs arranged around it, each bearing a well-dressed man or woman. Handsome Jack sat at the head of the table, chin resting on his hand, his expression that of utter, soul-crushing boredom. A pot-bellied gentleman down the way from him was standing, clearly making some speech or other, though he fell silent at Nadie's intrusion. He sputtered a couple of times before demanding, "Who are you?"

Nadie didn't respond to him at all—her attention was all for the man at the head of the table. Handsome Jack looked up immediately at her entry and they caught gazes. A heartbeat lasted between them, and then he sat up, never breaking eye contact with her.

"Everyone out. Right now."

There was a surprised murmur from the board members at his order, and they exchanged unsure looks. Not turning his gaze away from the Siren, he slammed a fist onto the table to punctuate his point.

"Out the door or out the window, I don't care, but get! Out!" There was a cutting edge in his voice and it was clear most of the members had some survival instinct as they hastily gathered whatever documents or items they had and quickly stepped out of the room. The only one who hesitated was the portly man who had been speaking, and he opened his mouth to make some objection. Nadie walked straight to the table, stepped up onto it, and began making her way down it, quick steps taking her to the belligerent board member. She halted before him, only then breaking her eye lock with Hyperion's president long enough to reach down, grab the man's tie, and lift him up with it, his heels leave the ground.

"Out, little man." Her voice was soft, tone firm, and even with his girth and her positioning, it didn't look like hefting his weight bothered her in the slightest.

"Yes, ma'am," he coughed. She released him and he dropped back to his feet, wheezing, but his breathless state didn't slow him from making a hasty exit out of the conference room. The moment she heard the door click shut, she continued stalking across the tabletop toward her goal, beginning to divest herself of her jacket. A grin curled Handsome Jack's lips as she approached, pieces of clothing left behind to decorate her path.

"You're hot when you're out to get what you want," he said with a chuckle, enjoying the show.

"I assume you aren't complaining that I interrupted," she replied teasingly, coming to a halt before him, dressed in nothing but a pair of heels.

"Oh, not at all," he purred, leaning back in his chair and tucking his hands behind his head. "Your intervention came at a perfect time for everyone. You probably saved his life right now." He looked her over, taking the time to appreciate the view.

"We could have saved all the drama if we had had just stayed in bed this morning like I wanted, you know," he pointed out, smirking. "But that's all right—you can help me satisfy a craving."

"And what's that?"

His smirk became an impish smile and he held out a hand to her to assist her in stepping down.

"I've always wanted to get head at the head of the table."

Nadie laughed brightly, taking his offered hand.

"I'll see what I can do."

/

/

Azrae dropped down to stand beside the black armored Vault Hunter.

"We ready?"

"A Siren's army/Stands ready for the assault/The Key yet remains."

"Ok, I'm going to start toward the rendezvous point. I'll give you ten minutes to get into place before I set these things off. After the initial pulse, they'll burst again every three minutes. I did my best to hide them, but you won't have long before they're found and Opportunity gets their systems back, so make it count."

The engineer slipped a small electronic device out of her pocket and fiddled with it for a few moments, setting its timer to automatically send out the activation code.

"It's set, so—" She fell silent as she looked up to see Zer0 was already gone.

An unpleasant smile curled Azrae's lips.

"This will be fun," she murmured.

/

/

Darrell had been in the Vault of the Warrior for all of five minutes and he was already sweating, the live magma heating the room to an uncomfortable degree. He had not intended to end up here—his clues had taken him to an old Eridian ritual site initially, and he had thought he'd find the Heart there. However, as had been the story of his life and the bane of every artifact hunter everywhere, those clues had only led to more clues which led him to more clues. He had gone all the way to Aegrus just to find reference and worship of the beast that now roamed Pandora, keeping its people safe at the behest of its master. So after weeks of travel, he had made his way to one of the only Vaults on Pandora still open, hoping he might be at the end of the journey.

The central dais held no interest for him—he walked carefully around the side of the room, far closer to magma than he ever wanted to be, following whispers of instructions regarding the path of the worshipper. His rocky path narrowed thinner and thinner, but it never fully disappeared, leaving him a harrowing walk further out into the depths of the Vault. He would have lost sight of the dais if he dared to look away from the spit of walkway he traversed, but he focused on his footing and the path, only vaguely aware of the lava and the chunks of rock out some distance that bobbed ever so slowly.

The walkway curved along the rocky wall and opened up to a platform before an Eridian gateway guarded by an intimidating pair of Eridian warrior statues. The gate was closed and the area nearly silent; even the rakks weren't this far out. He took a moment to get his breath back and studied the area—the only way to get out here would be to follow the almost imperceptible path he had, fly, or play a dangerous game of leapfrog across the rocks and boulders in the lava.

Once he felt more in control of himself, he approached the gateway. The large doors with intricate markings across them slid aside smoothly, allowing him access to the chamber beyond. Darrell crept carefully through the archway and found himself in an almost spherical chamber. In the center of the room was a dais with a central plinth, Eridian text across every surface. It was clear this was a place of import, maybe even something akin to worship, and Darrell stepped through it with the awareness of that sanctity. However, that pretense of appreciation for a race long gone lasted until he got a better look at the plinth and his blood ran cold. His pace increased and he hurried to the alter, adrenaline beginning to surge through him. The top of the plinth was slightly bowl-shaped, like whatever had sat there was round. The Eridian markings across it were lit up, glowing brightly, and across the top of the bowl was a symbol he had seen only a few times before—a thick circular line with two sweeping arcs above it. It was the same symbol that every Siren wore over their heart. Darrell looked passed the alter to the far wall beyond to see a black stone arch, soft purple energy rippling within the confines, the portal clearly active. He glanced back down at the Siren symbol on the plinth and tapped his Echo, choosing to ignore the order levied on him to leave his protégé alone. A soft tone came from his Echo as it tried to connect, and then nothing happened. He tried again only to find the same result. Honestly panicking now, Darrell went for his backup plan.

"Mm?" Lawson grunted when he picked up the connection.

"We've got a major problem and I can't get ahold of your daughter."

/

/

Lucille had been kicking herself for the last couple of hours, grumbling about her lot in life. She wasn't really mad—mostly, she was just annoyed. Even with the lab techs happily chattering at their workstations, there was a quiet to the lab that could only be explained by Alexander and Nadie's absence.

"Ma'am?" came a voice to her left suddenly. Lucille looked up from her work to see one of the younger techs staring up at her timidly.

"Oh, Daniel, please. Miss, if anything. I'm not so old as to be a 'ma'am.' But I'd prefer to be called Lucille."

"Yes, ma—um, Lucille."

"What do you need?"

"I, uh, started, um…" He stuttered a few times before offering a technical design on a sheet of drafting paper. Lucille took it and looked it over.

"You're working on merging elemental mods? I'm not sure that's possible."

"I'm not either, but Miss Tirrell has been expressing her frustration over the fact that certain firearms won't take more than one mod, so I figured if we can't force a gun to take a second mod, maybe we could mix the effects of two mods into one."

"Huh." Lucille looked over the scrawled equations on the side of the design.

"You'd lose some of the potency of each elemental type, but I see you've taken that into consideration."

"Yes. I have some thoughts for how to mitigate some of that loss as well, but I'd like to try and get a working mix-mod prototype before I start tackling that challenge."

"You've thought through your math… This actually looks possible. What do you need from me?"

"The only way I could get the mods to work together is by boosting them with Eridium."

"Ah, you're working in e-tech." She looked back over the notes again. "Which means you need some to work with if you're going to start on a prototype."

"Hence why I came to you, ma—Lucille."

A moment passed while Lucille continued to study the design and Daniel sweated, trying to hide his nervousness. Lucille was knowledgeable in mods to a degree he could only hope to achieve in his lifetime—her opinion meant the world to him. It had taken him almost three days to talk himself up enough to bring it to her.

"It looks good," she finally acknowledged. "If you want to get started on the base, I will go get you a few slivers of Eridium. Do you need refined or raw?"

"I'm… not sure? I actually didn't think about how the different states might affect the mod. I ran the numbers using refined as a base."

"Tell you what. I'll get you both. Might as well go for broke. Now, shoo. Go get started."

"Thank you!" he bubbled excitedly. He scampered back to his workstation and Lucille closed up her computer and headed for the elevator.

It wasn't far to the high security armory, the only location nearby that had any unrefined Eridium stored. Prior to Nadie's, and consequently her, promotion, she'd have never even known the location existed. Now, not only did she know that it was close by, she also had full access to it and the freedom to make use of the goodies contained within. She hadn't been in it often, Nadie really the one designated with primary access, but she knew the gunsmith would have no qualms with Lucille's use of the materials.

She was just down the hall from the armory when everything shut off abruptly, the power sputtering out, leaving the hallway consumed by darkness. Lucille immediately went still in surprise, and after a few moments, a low thrum of electricity echoed through the building as the lights sluggishly came back on. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and, more on instinct than logic, she hurried to the armory. The security panel was working again by the time she arrived at it, and she tapped in her code, swiped her card, and placed her palm on the sensor pad. The door swept open silently and she hurried in only to stop dead upon entry.

Everything that was supposed to be in the armory was in its place—weapons mounted on the walls, locked boxes stored in neat rows, and like the grand central piece of a treasury, the Vault Key levitated within its high tech containment. What didn't belong was the black armored… man?… who stood before the Key, helmet aimed at and clearly focused on the Eridian artifact.

Lucille had never really considered herself brave. She had never thought of herself as quick to react. The idea that she might be put in a dangerous situation had certainly crossed her mind, but she had never really put any planning into what she would do. However, the moment she saw that figure in black, a chill went down her spine and she knew she needed to act. She didn't speak or hesitate beyond the moment it took for her to register what she was seeing—she hit the exit panel by the door, the impact acting as a panic button, setting off the alarms even as the armored man turned to look at her. She reached out and quickly snatched one of the guns off the wall beside her, aiming it at the intruder.

"Stay right there," she ordered firmly. "I don't know who you are, but I know you don't belong here."

Zer0 cocked his head to the side, regarding the woman before him.

"Harolt's lady stands/Within sight of the Vault Key/Challenging me," he informed Azrae through the Echo connection relinked once the EMP pulse had passed. Lucille's breath caught.

"What has this got to do with Harolt?" she demanded sharply, fear racing through her, her mind already at work conjuring the worst possibilities.

Azrae's response came almost immediately, no hesitation or sympathy in her voice.

"Tie up that loose end."

"Noted."

"Don't move," Lucille commanded even as Zer0 drew his blade. He shifted his stance slightly, flipping the weapon around in his hand lazily almost as if she wasn't a threat. She readjusted her grip on the gun, making sure she had his head in her sights.

"Now, tell me what's Harolt to all—"

Her question ended in a scream of agony as a blade pierced through her chest from behind. The image of the Assassin before her dissipated even as blood welled up from her mouth, her body struggling to breathe.

"Worlds of grief and pain/Give life ignorant of death/Innocent blossoms." His tone was gentle, almost soothing, even as he took hold of her shoulder to bring her further down the blade.

Lucille tried to reach an arm up, perhaps to grip the sword, maybe to grab at her attacker, but her body fought her, its movements sluggish and jerky. Fire streaked through her veins, her chest feeling like it was caving in. A ragged gasp wheezed through her tortured lungs.

"Hush, noble lady/Your will is admirable/This battle is done." His words were soft spoken beside her ear, and when he pulled his blade free, she heard nothing more. The lights went down again as Azrae's EMPs pulsed once more, and when the power surged back to life, the Assassin was gone.


	14. Chapter 13

Handsome Jack tangled his fingers in Nadie's hair as she kissed him from her place in his lap. Her hands roamed across his skin, enjoying the close proximity, still riding a satisfied high from the fact she had interrupted his meeting, an act he had sanctioned. As much as she had been loathe to intrude and prematurely end a board meeting that needed to happen, there was a sort of wicked pleasure in being where she shouldn't and knowing she had that much of his attention.

"Let's go out tonight," she entreated gently, nibbling on his ear. One of his hands slid down her back and tucked her closer to him.

"You sure, babe? I was thinking maybe we should bring Squeaky over and lock him in the kitchen until magic happens."

"If we do that, we'll only end up ignoring him for the bedroom."

"What's wrong with that?" He leaned back so that he could get a better look at her. "Sweetheart, you can't tell me you're getting bored of me. I refuse to believe it."

She chuckled and looked around at their location.

"I somehow don't think I'm getting bored, my dear, given that I just interrupted a meeting I made you go to, after all."

"Yeah," he agreed, "and we could have avoided all that by just staying in bed. You know, like I suggested."

"Yes, yes. You were right," she said with a smile, shaking her head in amusement at the hint of superiority in his voice.

"So, it stands to reason that I'm right about dinner tonight, as well." He took hold of her hips, rocking her against him, still enjoying her warmth and touch just as much as their first time together.

"C'mon, Jack, let's actually go be seen somewhere," she encouraged, pressing herself against him. He laughed.

"Oh, I get it, babe. You just want to be seen on Handsome Jack's arm."

She grinned.

"Sure. I want to go show you off. Let's go someplace busy. We could go to that new brewery that opened. Let's do a full night on the town."

He sat up to kiss her.

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

He took her left hand and brushed his lips across the inside of her arm.

"Wear something that shows off these," he requested, indicating the Siren markings. When she stiffened, he continued, "Come on, babe. You want to show me off; the same is true for me. Being seen with one of the six most powerful women in all the galaxies? Yes, please."

Nadie grinned.

"You only want me for my power."

He reached up, cupping her cheek with a hand and bringing her down to kiss him.

"Need I remind you, sweet cheeks, that I was pursuing you long before I knew you were a Siren?"

"I don't believe you," she retorted teasingly, hovering over his lips. "You plan for everything."

"Trust me, babe," he purred, "there was no planning for you."

She chuckled.

"Funny… My father says something very similar."

He kissed her, one of his hands tangling itself once more in her hair.

"You're going to have to introduce us, sweetheart."

"Mm… Still not sure I'm ready to do that…"

"Babe…"

The gunsmith giggled and leaned back down to him, stealing his tongue from his mouth.

Distracted by each other and sequestered in a room with huge windows letting in plenty of light, neither noticed when Opportunity lost power. The blazing alarms minutes after, however, caught both their attentions immediately and instantly had them on guard. There was a heartbeat between them in which they met each other's gaze, and then without a word, scrambled up and started throwing on clothes.

"Jimmy! What the hell's going on?!" Handsome Jack demanded, tapping his Echo to connect with his subordinate.

"Everything went down, sir, we don't yet know why," Mister Blake answered immediately. "I have already sent response crews to investigate."

"Give me something concrete, Jimmy, I don't want to hear that you don't know what's going on," Hyperion's president snarled.

"I'm afraid that's the state of things at the moment, sir," Mister Blake replied. In another situation, he might sound more apologetic, but he knew his superior had no interest in hearing it and frankly, he didn't have the time to coddle the man.

"There's only one piece of sure news we have and you will not like it, sir."

"Jimmy…" Handsome Jack ordered sharply. He had gotten pants and shirt on and started pacing in agitation. Nadie studied him closely, having thrown on her pair of slacks and the tank top she used as an undershirt.

"There's a black armored man walking the halls."

Hyperion's president went completely still, fists clenched at his sides.

"Zer0," he hissed, a world's worth of hatred in his tone. Nadie watched him as he stood frozen for a moment and then he spun and kicked one of the chairs hard enough to make it clatter and slide away from the table.

 _"Fuck!"_ He took two steps down the room and then whirled back, letting out a loud, angry growl.

"Jimmy!"

"Yes, sir. We've dispatched—"

Mister Blake was abruptly cut off by a high pitched screech and a subordinate's curse of surprise.

"What the hell—" came across the Echo, the employee's voice soft from distance.

"Sir, we have a bigger—" Mister Blake began. He was interrupted by the sound of metal protesting as it bent and an animalistic roar rang out. The connection cut off suddenly.

"What is going on over there?!" Handsome Jack snapped. "Jimmy?!"

Nadie crossed the distance between them as he hissed in rage.

"Connection died. The Echonet's down."

"Those cries," Nadie began. "That first was a rakk."

"The other one was a skag. I recognize that sound."

"What the hell are they doing in the middle of Opportunity? I guess the rakk I could understand, but the skag…?"

She trailed off and in the moment of following silence, they began to hear the muffled commotion from outside, softened so much by the soundproofing of the room that it was only now when they were actively listening for oddities that they caught it. Three steps took him to the window and she swiftly followed.

Below, the city was in chaos. Screams and shots rang out, mixing into the cacophonous sound of animal cries. Packs of skags raced down the streets, hunting out the innocent dwellers of Opportunity. Rakks soared through the air, landing on the sharp edges of buildings, peering down for victims to dive at.

"What the fuck?" the Siren breathed in a mixture of shock and horror.

A howl of challenge echoed and they watched as a trio of bullymongs clambered up onto one of the nearby buildings, hooting wildly.

That was the point Handsome Jack just turned and started running for the door.

"Grab my jacket!" he yelled over his shoulder as he hit the doors out. Nadie cursed, snatched up the requested item, and raced after him, leaving the rest of her clothes behind. She caught up to him before he got to the elevator.

"Stairs," she stated firmly, shaking her head at the elevator. "We don't know if the system's going to go down again."

As if to emphasis her point, the lights of the hall abruptly died.

"Mark my words, babe, someone is dying by the end of the day."

It was but a few moments before the power surged back to the life, and the second they had light, they made a break for the stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked, hurrying after him as he took the stairs two and three steps at a time.

"Getting the one thing I know I can count on," he replied.

Through luck, the benevolence of some deity, or sheer coincidence, they made it through the stairwell and out into the hall unmolested. He didn't slow down—he ran through the hall and the moment he took a right turn, Nadie's suspicions of where he was going were confirmed. They got to the armory's door when the power flickered out again.

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" he growled.

The power swelled back into life almost immediately—it was clear whatever was affecting the system was being dealt with. He slapped his palm on the sensor pad nearby the door and a scanner tucked in the top frame beeped as it read his biometrics. Nadie regarded it curiously, having never known the thing was there. She had always assumed that any entrance required a security code, a palm print, and a clearance card, but the boss always had made his own rules.

The door slid aside after the scanner beeped a second time and he stepped into the armory only to freeze at the sight that lay before him.

Blood had pooled around the body of Lucille, her clothes and hair drenched in it, a gaping hole in her chest. Nadie peered around him to see what had caught his attention and a cry of dismay escaped her. She dashed passed him, dropping to her knees and scooping up her friend, her tattoos immediately igniting into a purple glow, amethyst wings manifesting off her back as she desperately tried to salvage some shred of life in the fallen woman.

Handsome Jack's gaze went passed the morbid sight and locked on the Vault Key—or, rather, the place it was _supposed_ to be. The encasement was shattered and the Key was gone. Icy rage streaked through his veins, his hands clenching into fists that shook in fury.

"How long have you known?" he demanded, voice tight and emotionless.

"What are you talking about?" She looked up at him sharply as she slowly stood, setting Lucille's body back down, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Her red-headed friend was long passed the Siren's ability to save.

"How long have you known?" he repeated, anger heating his voice. "You make me attend a meeting I had neither desire nor intention to go to, then you backtrack on your own words and interrupt it, distracting me and keeping me out of contact from my management team."

Her eyes narrowed, purple energy beginning to emanate from them.

"Are you accusing me of being in on some grand conspiracy against you?"

His stance shifted into a more defensive posture as he pointed at her condemningly.

"Just when some Vault Hunters who won't stay dead start interfering in my affairs once again, you show up like an ace I've had the luck to pull from the deck. But in reality, you were just a diversion, weren't you? Something to keep me from stopping these psychos' goals, to give them a chance to steal my Key! You're just another bandit fighting against the civilization of this shithole planet!"

She recoiled with a hiss like he had struck her.

"How dare you," she growled, outraged. "Need I remind you that _you_ found _me_ , not the other way around? That _every_ step and change in our relationship has been on _your_ pleasure? I didn't know anything about the Key until almost two months ago, I certainly have no interest in your demise, and I am damn well not a bandit! Trust me, if I was going to kill you, I'd have put a bullet in your head any morning I woke up with you beside me. I would not have shut down the city's systems, gone through the frankly unbelievable work it would take to assault Opportunity and its innocent citizens by wildlife, and you can bet your ass I would never, _never_ sacrifice Lucille for you!"

As she spoke, her voice rose in volume, fury burning in it, and her tattoos began to glow brighter. Handsome Jack stepped back slightly, one hand shifting slowly to the nearby desk, reaching carefully for one of the Siren collars that had remained in the armory, unneeded for some time.

Before he could take hold of one, Nadie's eyes went wide and she surged toward him suddenly.

"Jack!" She snatched hold of his outstretched arm and tugged him out of the doorway just as a stalker emerged from cloak and lunged forward, teeth and claws bared. It smashed into her shoulder, talons tearing through her skin. She hissed in pain and kicked it, knocking it back long enough that she could yank one of the weapons off the wall and put three bullets in its head. The stalker squealed in pain at the first shot, but its volume trailed off into silence rapidly after the second and third.

"I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to store guns with live ammunition, but I could kiss them," she stated firmly. Her power swelled up and her wings flared, the bleeding wounds across her skin swiftly sealing shut and disappearing as if they had never been there. Handsome Jack studied the changes intently, having never seen her power used for its intended purpose. She turned back to him and he shifted warily, watching her for any microscopic sign of hostility now that she was armed.

"Can we table this argument for now?" she pleaded. "We need to get out of here."

"Why would you save me?" he asked, suspicion coloring his voice. She blinked in surprise and then sighed, dropping the pistol to rest at her side, pointing toward the floor.

"I may be pissed at you, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. I'm not going to abandon you just because everything's gone to hell. Now," she continued, glancing down the hall cautiously, "get whatever weapons you can and prefer. I'm going to make sure there aren't any other invisible assholes waiting for us." She stepped out of the armory without giving him a chance to respond. He watched the door for a moment, torn between following her to make sure she wasn't doing other than stated, and packing as much firepower as possible, but after a few heartbeats, he decided on the latter. Sights set on one cabinet in particular, he placed his thumb on a scanner and a click echoed as it unlocked, automatically sliding open. He took the weapons within and hooked the lasers onto his forearms before lifting one, sighting down the length of the barrel.

"Been a long time, boys. We have work to do."

Handsome Jack turned then and went back to the door, stooping long enough to pick up the jacket Nadie had dropped when she had gone to Lucille's body. His gaze went to the corpse—did he trust the Siren in that she wouldn't sacrifice someone just to further her goals? His track record with their kind wasn't pretty, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time a woman he knew threw someone under the blade to get what they want. His gaze went to the collar sitting on the desk nearby. There were a few choices before him that he could see. He could take the woman at her word, an undertaking he wasn't particularly fond of without a backup plan. Or…

His eyes went to the pocket watch attached to his jacket. There was always that option; a quick use of its tech, get out of Opportunity, and then contact Helios to have a full army of loaders sent to clean up the mess. It would be simple enough…

"Either we're still lucky for the moment, or we are about to be seriously screwed," Nadie informed him as she stepped back into the room. "I didn't see anything else, but no idea how long that will last."

He looked up at her for a moment and then nodded, keeping his face neutral.

"Let's take our chance while we have it." He tugged his jacket back on, rolling the sleeves up and behind the wrist mounted lasers carefully.

She stepped passed him to pick up some extra magazines for her firearm and shoved them into a pocket.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

"Ladies first," he replied, gesturing toward the door. She studied him for a heartbeat and then let out a soft sigh before going back out into the hallway. The moment the Siren was out of sight, Handsome Jack snatched one of the collars off the desk and tucked it into his jacket. He followed immediately after and caught up to her at the stairwell.

"So, first floor and then we make our way out of the city?" Nadie questioned as he drew abreast of her.

"It's as good a plan as any," he acknowledged. "And if we're really lucky, maybe we won't run into those bullymong."

An expression of worry passed across her face.

"Oh goodness, I hope not. Those things are right bastards to kill."

He looked like he was about to respond, but a loud roar reverberated through the hallway. They glanced back to see a skag come around the corner at full speed, nearly tumbling on the slick floor, a squadron of men behind it wearing a variation of the Crimson Raider's old uniforms.

"There he is!" one of them shouted, spotting the duo at the end of the hall, and all of the armed raiders lifted their weapons simultaneously.

"Oh, we gotta go, babe," Handsome Jack stated firmly, placing one hand on her back and shoving her through so that he could step in after and quickly slam the door shut.

"Let's go, let's go," he ordered, pushing passed her so that he could start down the stairs rapidly. Nadie needed no extra encouragement—she hastened after him, both of them skipping multiple steps at a time.

"My goodness, you're popular," she gasped as they raced down the stairs, the boom of the landing's door slamming open somewhere above them echoing.

"Not going to lie," he puffed back over his shoulder. "Never thought I'd be so popular even the crazy wildlife of this planet would be chasing after me."

There were angry shouts from above them and a short burst of gunfire hit the landing they had just passed.

"I know you're popular, but I think your adoring fans are getting a bit out of hand," the Siren told him. "Maybe you should explain how they're expecting too much of you…"

"Rule number one of being a rock star, babe: always leave them wanting more," he retorted as they hit the bottom floor. He pushed open the door leading out into the street and immediately pulled it back shut as a pair of rakks dove by after a broad shouldered man firing a shotgun at them. The moment the gunfire became more muffled by distance, he pushed the door back open and stepped out, moving aside so that Nadie could join him. As he slammed it shut, she glanced around and reached over to grab one of the metal pipes that ran up the building. She gritted her teeth, her wings flaring, and the metal groaned as she yanked it until it snapped.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed, stepping away as she bent the pipe down and wrapped it around the door's handle. The gunsmith sucked in a gasp of air through clenched teeth, rubbing her hands together, the skin vaguely pink like they had been in hot water.

"That should slow them a bit. Let's go." She started down the street in the vague direction of the city's exit into the Highlands.

"You can boost your physical prowess with your power?" he asked, following after her.

"Yeah, I just don't like doing it. I always feel sore afterwards."

The banter between them faded as they began the trek to get out of a city consumed by violence and chaos. Opportunity was rapidly quieting, its inhabitants either escaping the city or meeting their ends at the fangs and claws of Pandora's fauna.

"This is barbaric," Nadie all but growled in empathic pain as they moved passed bodies abandoned, throats ripped out, bowels torn open.

"Welcome to bandits, babe. This is what I've been trying to stop from happening. Though I would kill to know how they got all these things into Opportunity."

A squeal of fright came from down one of the connecting streets suddenly. A young woman stumbled out into the light ahead of them, running from a trio of skags who were clearly enjoying chasing her down. As one, both Siren and president took aim and fired at the beasts. The skags roared in anger and turned their attentions toward them, long legs rapidly propelling them toward the pair. Handsome Jack and Nadie split up, the Siren dodging back away from the creatures' mouths. The defense mechanism built into Hyperion's president's shield went off, manifesting a short burst of force long enough to bounce the lunging skag back with a yelp of protest. The blasts from his lasers tore through the skin of the creature and it howled in a mix of rage and pain. Nadie unloaded a clip into the tough hide of the skag chasing her, watching in satisfaction as it snarled in agony and wheeled away. The third beast clearly decided food that fought back wasn't as good as food that didn't, and it turned on the young woman who had backed away against one of the walls.

"Stay away from me!" she cried.

"Run, you fool girl!" Handsome Jack snapped at her, dodging around the skag nipping him so he could shoot at the errant animal. Either his words got through to her or her fear prompted her into action, as she scrambled to her feet and ran from the skag. The beast took chase only to come to grinding halt when a series of bullets hit its hide. It growled and turned on the man who came down an alley, gun at the ready.

Nadie dodged out of the way of her skag's snapping maw and swung her pistol around, aiming down the barrel toward its head. It roared, and the moment she could see down its gullet, she poured projectiles down it. The animal squealed and turned to run, but Nadie closed the distance, brought the muzzle of the gun to the top of its head, and fired one more shot. The skag spasmed and then slumped down, unmoving.

The Siren straightened and turned, intending to go to Handsome Jack's assistance, but flinched back when the skag he had been fighting landed heavily in front of her. It took a moment, but she stood once more when she realized it was dead.

"Are you all right?" she asked, walking over to him.

"Yeah," he replied, stretching out his arms to resettle his jacket over his shoulders. "Just a few cuts and bruises."

She came to a halt close enough to touch him and brushed her fingers across his arm, her wings flaring, her power sweeping over him. As he felt the sting subside, he turned to regard the new gunman who had joined them as he finished off the last skag.

"Thank you!" the young woman sputtered before disappearing down the street.

"So, who the hell are you?" Handsome Jack asked. The man glanced up from the skag's body and his eyes narrowed when he saw who stood across from him.

"Harolt?" Nadie blinked in surprise. Harolt's gaze flickered to her and an apologetic expression passed across his face.

"Sorry, Nadie," he said with remorse in his voice, and he aimed his gun at Handsome Jack.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hyperion's president protested. "You just saved some girl to come threaten me?"

Nadie shifted her position to be closer at his side, angling herself slightly in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing, Harolt?"

"Nothing personal, Nadie, but that man is a monster who needs to die."

"Oh, fantastic," Handsome Jack grumbled dryly. "My city's overrun by animals, there's a Vault Hunter running around back from the dead, and now we have this idiot thinking he's going to be the hero. You're in the wrong story for that, kiddo."

"So, you were in on this?" Nadie demanded. "All of this? This bloodshed and horror?"

"You have no idea what a monster he is," Harold retorted. "How many people he's murdered to get here. Nadie, I know you're a good person at heart. I didn't realize you were a Siren, but I've always known your kind to err on the side of right. You've got to understand, he's a terrible man!"

" _He's_ a terrible man?" she repeated incredulously. "What about you? You bring innocents into all this?"

Harolt gritted his teeth.

"No one in this city is innocent."

Nadie stiffened angrily.

"No one? Not the people who've never picked up a gun in their life? Not the children who live here? Not even Lucille?" she demanded. The man before them flinched, her sharp tone striking home.

"Lucille's…" Harolt protested weakly.

"Dead," Nadie cut in harshly. Harolt froze.

"What?" His breath hissed out like he had been punched in the gut and his aim waivered.

"You're lying."

"I am covered in her blood, Harolt," Nadie replied, gesturing to her clothes. "She died protecting the Vault Key from your friends."

"I was looking… no, she was supposed to be safe. She was uninvolved."

"Tell that to your armor-wearing friend," Handsome Jack informed him bluntly. "He ran her through. I've seen his handiwork before."

Harolt stared at them for a long moment, seeking any indication of manipulation or subterfuge. When both just met his gaze evenly, Handsome Jack's irritated, Nadie's angry, he dropped the gun slowly.

"Azrae promised…" he breathed softly.

"Whatever you were promised, someone didn't keep it," Nadie commented. She glanced back at her partner.

"C'mon, let's keep moving."

"You may consider me a monster, kid, but think about it this way," Handsome Jack stated as he walked passed the heartbroken man. "I've never been anything but honest in my attempts to civilize this planet. You're the one working for a liar."

The duo had only gotten a few feet away when Harolt's voice came after them.

"You murdered my sister." His accusation was toneless, almost uncaring, like it was stated because it had to be said.

Frustration surged through Hyperion's president and he turned back toward Harolt, one of his arms coming up to take aim and just end the dispute right there, but Nadie caught his wrist and shook her head once.

"And now you've traded one woman's death for another," the Siren retorted. She tugged at Handsome Jack's arm and he allowed her to draw him away from the scene. They left Harolt standing in the middle of a wrecked street, alone and consumed by grief.

It was only after they had gone that a sob escaped him.


	15. Chapter 14

"Why didn't you let me kill him, babe?" Handsome Jack demanded as they cautiously made their way down the street, ducking into alleys where they could to avoid the wildlife still roaming around. It was clear some purpose motivated them—they still hunted through the city streets, seeking their prey. He wouldn't put any amount of money down on who they were searching for, and as much as he didn't trust the Siren at his back, he was momentarily grateful to have her at his side. One more gun pointed at the enemy was one less problem he had to deal with.

"Because," Nadie replied, poking her head around a corner carefully before looking back at him, her gaze hard, "it would have been a kindness to put him out of his misery. He let my friend and the woman he loved die. Let him suffer in that knowledge for the rest of his life. I hope it's a long one."

"Hm." He studied her for a moment. "You seem so polite most of the time, and then every once in a while, this nastiness bubbles out of you."

"It's not nastiness," she protested as they slipped out into the street. "It's harsh reality. I have little patience for people who can't or won't protect what's theirs. If you claim something, you damn well better fight for it."

He caught her arm suddenly.

"Woah, hold up," he warned, tugging her back toward him. A skag came around the corner of a building, nose to the ground, snuffling across the concrete. Handsome Jack lifted an arm, took aim, and fired a quick series of blasts, the light weapons burning through its hide rapidly. The skag squealed in surprise and tried to run, but flesh and bone disintegrated with alarming rapidity. Nadie peered over at his wrist-mounted lasers.

"Those things are amazing!"

"Benefits of being the man in charge, sweetheart, I get to keep all the awesome toys."

"If we live through this, may I play with them?"

He looked down at her.

"Are you going to take them apart?" he inquired suspiciously. She fidgeted under his gaze.

"…No?"

Abruptly, a howl of triumph echoed from behind them. They both looked back sharply to see a big bull skag, head pointed skyward, letting its cry reach out through the city. It was both a request for aid as well as an acknowledgment of success.

"We'll talk about it later," Handsome Jack replied quickly, already taking hold of her hand and turning to run. "We need to go."

"Yeah, I think we have overstayed our welcome," she agreed hastily. The bull skag immediately lunged into pursuit.

All attempts at subtly or caution were thrown out the window at that point. The duo would clear a corner of the city's streets and a stalker or skag would already be crossing the distance, cutting off potential escape routes. Rakks harried them from above, boldly darting in to lash at them before veering off sharply, chased off by bursts of gunfire.

"Do you get the feeling," Nadie puffed as she grabbed her companion and tugged him away from a skag's snapping maw, "that we're being herded around?"

"What would give you that idea?" he responded dryly, following through with the force of the jerk, swinging an arm up to fire at a stalker leaping out of cloak at them. They got about four yards further before a turn dropped them out in the grand courtyard that served as the welcome mat and first sight any visitor to Opportunity encountered. Both came to a screeching halt when they saw the courtyard was full of wildlife, all facing them, low growls and gazes intent.

"Oh, you know, it's just a suspicion," the Siren finished worriedly.

A roar of anger and challenge echoed and one of the bullymong dropped off a nearby building, landing heavily on the statue in the center courtyard. The monument was done in Handsome Jack's likeness as the Hero of Pandora, hand atop a sniper rifle, foot pressing down on a bandit, a constant reminder that it was he who had claimed this land, and he would kill to protect it. The statue toppled from the force of the beast's landing, a metallic crash rattling across the courtyard.

"Oh, come on!" Handsome Jack yelled irritably. "I just had that fixed not too long ago!"

"I don't think he cares, sweetheart. This is… not good."

"Today's prize goes to the green haired Siren for understatement of the year," he grumbled in response, rapidly taking in their situation and looking for the best way out. The prospects were not good.

"You've been a bad, bad man!" a female voice called out in a sing-song tone. A blonde haired young woman crawled up over the back of the bullymong and plopped onto its shoulder. She smiled at them both, a psycho's mask hanging around her neck and a beret askew on her head.

"Mm," Nadie grunted. "Little girl on the back of a 14 foot tall monstrosity. That's not comforting."

"Frankly, I'm more concerned with the veritable menagerie surrounding us," Handsome Jack replied.

"Hey, hey, hey," the girl yelped irritably. "You can't just go and ignore me!"

"Trust me, kid," Hyperion's president retorted. "You'd prefer I ignore you. You're starting to look an awful lot like someone I fondly remember killing."

The girl let out a strangled gasp and scrambled to her feet, much to the bullymong's annoyance judging by its growl when her fingers dug into its fur for balance.

"You are the worst!" she snapped, stomping a boot on the bullymong's shoulder. The creature snarled, but tolerated the temper tantrum happening near its head.

"Oooh, I have a visit lined up for you with my number one and number two girls, just you wait, you monster!" Tiny Tina snapped, putting a hand on the explosives attached to her bandolier. Each was painted with a variety of emoticon faces.

"Ok, what did I miss?" Nadie demanded.

"This is all before you, babe," Handsome Jack replied. "Remnants of a beast that won't stay dead. This little tyke's bent out of shape because I killed her parents and her mentor."

Nadie glanced at him, eyebrows raised.

"Seriously?"

"Sweetheart, they were bandits!"

"I'm beginning to think your definition of 'bandit' is a little more broad than mine, but we can talk about that later."

He gestured at the scene before them.

"I submit to you that she's standing in front of us on a wild animal, threating us with explosives. If that _isn't_ the act of a bandit…"

"Ngh, you have a point."

"I am _not_ a bandit!" Tina exclaimed and she went for her grenades.

That was when the sharp crack of a sniper rifle echoed between the buildings, startling the rakks into flight, and the bullymong's head all but exploded. There was a sort of stunned silence that stretched out across the courtyard for everyone except Tina, who squealed in surprise as the bullymong dropped away beneath her, sending her tumbling to the ground. She hit the soil with an "oof," and the grenades she had been going for popped free, bouncing away from her.

"Oh crap," Handsome Jack swore crossly when the explosives scattered and tugged Nadie back sharply.

The moment the grenades began going off, the animals scattered. Whatever power had brought them to Opportunity and sent them hunting for specific prey was clearly not strong enough to override survival instinct. Tina scrambled to her feet, dodging back and forth as skags and stalkers dove passed her left and right, escaping the danger of the courtyard.

"Zer0!" she screamed. The Assassin appeared on top of one of the nearby building's balconies at the girl's call.

"There's the armored freak," Hyperion's president snarled, spotting the Vault Hunter's vantage point.

Zer0 lifted an arm and held the Vault Key aloft almost tauntingly. An ear-shattering roar sounded and the Warrior rose up from behind the building, wings half unfurled, licks of fire flickering out between its teeth.

"Oh shit," Nadie sputtered, eyes wide. Handsome Jack took several steps forward.

"Warrior!" he ordered sharply. The beast set is front paws on the building top and cocked its head, attention fixed on the masked man.

"Burn him," Handsome Jack instructed, gesturing at the Assassin. The Warrior shifted its gaze to Zer0 who looked back up at it and then nodded his helmet at Hyperion's president. The bioweapon turned back on Handsome Jack, growling, gouts of flame spilling out of its mouth.

"Time to go!" Nadie observed, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. He didn't fight her direction—he spun on his heel and raced after the Siren as the Warrior pulled its head back before unleashing a blast of fire out over the courtyard.

"Why doesn't that stupid thing have some kind of password?!" Handsome Jack snapped rhetorically.

"Holy crap, that's hot!" Nadie squeaked unhappily as the blast heated the air around them. The Warrior roared in challenge and lunged over the building in pursuit.

"We need a new plan, babe!" he shouted. "We aren't making it out of the city this way!"

Nadie gritted her teeth as she came to the same conclusion.

"All right, new stupid plan. This way!"

She dove sharply to the left and he followed just as the Warrior let out another burst of fire. He realized immediately where she was going—the courtyard was connected to the city to the south and the bridge to the Highlands to the north, but the left and right were open to the ocean.

"Babe!"

"Water or fire, Jack! Take your pick!" she yelled back as she closed the distance to the elegant fence that kept the unwary from an unpleasant swim. She didn't bother to slow down; she just dove over the fence for the water below. Handsome Jack wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he didn't hesitate in following after the Siren as he heard teeth snap behind him. The Warrior's frustrated snarl followed him down into the water.

Being near the temperate Highlands, the ocean beneath Opportunity wasn't frigid, but it also wasn't particularly warm. It did act as a deterrent to the plasm-burning bioweapon, however. Handsome Jack broke the surface and gasped in a breath to see the Warrior roar down at him angrily, pacing back and forth like a cage cat. One paw bent the fence down like it was considering coming after him, but before it made its decision, its head snapped up and looked back like it heard something. Without returning its gaze to Hyperion's president, it turned and stalked back into Opportunity. Handsome Jack let out a relieved sigh.

"Let's hear it for an intense dislike of water." He glanced out over the waves, seeking the Siren.

"Babe? Babe!" He twisted sharply, hunting for any indication of Nadie. When he heard no response and didn't see her, he growled in something between frustration and panic.

"Hell!" He dove into the water, looking for some sign of his companion. The shallows of the Highlands dropped away rapidly, meaning the ocean deepened quickly beneath Opportunity, and with that depth came a darkness difficult to penetrate. A flash of amethyst power flared below him, bright enough to catch his attention, and he closed the distance to the sinking Siren. He took hold of one of her arms and pulled them both up to the surface. The moment their heads were above water, Nadie coughed and sputtered, flailing as she struggled to stay afloat.

"Relax!" he ordered in her ear sharply, ducking under a hand. "Nadie, I've got you! Stop fighting!"

She coughed a few more times, trying to get water out of her lungs, but he felt her sag in his grip. The instant she ceased being her own worst enemy, he turned his attention to getting both of them to shore.

Once their feet hit the shallows and they could walk the rest of the way up out of the water, he gave her an astonished look.

"You don't know how to swim?!"

She spat out seawater before answering.

"I grew up in a town surrounded by desert. I had seen the ocean once before moving to Opportunity. No, I don't know how to swim."

"I've lived most of my life on a space station and _I_ know how to swim," he retorted.

"Yeah, and I bet the pools were heated and you had lifeguards!"

"That still didn't stop people from getting in over their heads—oh boy, speaking of being in over our heads." Handsome Jack reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her closer to him. Nadie looked up to see arranged in a loose half circle waiting for them were half a dozen stalkers, at least one pack of skags, and the remaining two bullymong.

"I wonder where our friendly neighborhood sniper is," he muttered under his breath.

"I think this would be a bit of a mouthful for him," she replied.

"Yeah, well, they're going to have a mouthful of us in a second here."

The bigger of the two bullymongs lumbered forward a few paces and roared at them while slamming its primary set of hands into the ground. The animals around it shifted, reading themselves to lunge.

"Any other magic tricks you have tucked away, babe?"

"This isn't my normal sort of show…"

Before Handsome Jack could respond or the wildlife take their opportunity to attack, a high pitched whir like some engine warming up cut through the animalistic hisses and growls. Nadie's eyes went wide.

"We need to get down. Like right now!"

"What?"

She didn't answer; she reached out, snatched ahold of his jacket, and yanked both of them to the sand just as the roar of ammunition being poured out into the air shattered the afternoon. Screams and cries of outrage and pain escaped Pandora's fauna and the animals quickly tried to scatter from the stream of bullets, but the gun's barrel just turned slowly to follow them, tearing through muscle and sinew.

"Next time, babe," Handsome Jack began in exasperation, all but yelling in her ear to be heard over the noise, "just say 'hit the deck.' It's less wordy."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she snapped back grumpily. "Did that take too long? How about I just shout 'get down'?"

"Perfect!" he commended insincerely. "Now, who the hell brings a cannon to a gun fight?! Not that I'm complaining, but…"

The roar died down, what beasts that were going to escape disappearing over hills and into crevices in the nearby rocks, and what ones not able no longer a factor. Nadie tipped her head up, looking for the hat she knew she'd see.

"Hi, Dad. Thanks for the rescue."

"Dad?" Handsome Jack repeated incredulously.

A grunt was the only response the Siren received. She rolled to her feet and helped her companion up.

" _This_ is your dad?" Hyperion's president demanded. The man before them was tall, though not much taller than Handsome Jack was. He differed in sheer girth, however—the man looked like he bench pressed trucks for fun. Her father wasn't as big as some of the Vault Hunters he had met, but he looked like he could take a few hits and not blink.

Which he clearly had, judging by the scar that went across his left eye, rending it useless.

"You obviously took after your mother," Handsome Jack observed dryly.

Lawson stared at the masked man before him, his face unchanging, and then he let out a short breath.

"Hmph," he snorted. Nadie frowned.

"Oh, don't be like that! You just met him."

"I already don't like him," Lawson replied.

"Dad!"

"I'm a good judge of character."

"Oh really?" she responded disbelievingly, brows crooked up. "If that's true, how exactly did Mom happen?"

"How do you think I got to be a good judge of character?" he retorted. Nadie sighed and rolled her eyes before looking over at Handsome Jack.

"Jack, my dad; Lawson, Jack."

Lawson didn't respond as he hefted the minigun up on his shoulder, but Handsome Jack studied the sheriff.

"So, what happened to you? Nadie's mom give you a skag pearl ring?"

Lawson regard Hyperion's president silently with one blue eye, but Nadie gave her lover a perplexed expression.

"What? Who would be stupid enough?"

Handsome Jack chuckled.

"You'd be surprised, babe. I knew this one chick who… you know, never mind. Now's not the time."

Lawson just turned and stared at Nadie pointedly. She gave him an apologetic shrug. He sighed and then looked her over.

"You are soaked and covered in blood."

"Not mine this time," she piped up hastily. Lawson grunted.

"I have a change of clothes for you in the truck." He jerked his head out toward the Highlands, away from Opportunity.

"Thanks, Dad."

"What the hell?" Handsome Jack sputtered. "Do you normally travel with a spare pair of clothes for your daughter? Isn't that just a little weird?"

Lawson turned and began to walk out into the Highlands away from the beach, but he spoke back over his shoulder.

"You may have noticed it takes a lot to slow my daughter down. She seems to think of men with guns as brush to just walk through. This would not be the first time I've found her drenched in blood and dressed in rags." He paused and then glanced back at her for a moment.

"First time for soaking, though."

"Was not my ideal plan," Nadie assured him, following after.

"Especially given you can't swim," Handsome Jack added from behind her.

"Hey, it's as I said," she sniffed. "Water or fire. I made my choice."

He took a breath in to shoot a retort back, but she cut him off.

"Where's the truck, Dad? I would have thought you'd have brought it all the way to the city."

"Mm. I would have, except the damn skags were waiting for anyone trying to make their way into Opportunity. They did a decent job tearing it up. Had to make my way here on foot."

"Well, we're lucky you made it when you did."

"And simultaneously unlucky in that our ride has been trashed," Handsome Jack grumbled. "It would be nice if one thing would go my way today. Oh! That reminds me!" His pace slowed as he tapped his Echo to initiate a call. Now that they were out of Opportunity, his Echo immediately hooked into the EchoNet and sought out the requested end point.

"Rhys, buddy," Hyperion's president purred. "Make my day. Tell me you can have an army of loaders outside of Opportunity in like, oh, let's say, yesterday."

Nadie glanced back at him and watched his face darken over as a male voice responded on the other end.

"Rhys… I don't want to hear that. I don't care if it's can't or won't… I want to hear 'yes, sir.'"

There was another tense moment where a low murmur came across rapidly and Handsome Jack's expression only deepened further into frustration.

"We'll talk about this later," he informed his subordinate flatly and ended the call. A growl escaped him as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What happened?" the Siren inquired, slowing down to walk beside him.

"Apparently most of Helios' systems are on the fritz… The core systems like the life support are working just fine, but everything from the automatic doors to the light panel rotations are doing their own thing. This, of course, means the moonshot cannon is offline and the techs can't seem to purge the virus that's infected the system."

She blinked.

"How did that happen?"

He gritted his teeth.

"I have a few thoughts and the main one involves a little girl and her robot. I clearly need to fire my current security team on Helios. Out an airlock, preferably," he added in a snarl as he swept passed her after the sheriff. She hastened her pace to follow his angry stride.

Lawson rounded the bend to where he had left the truck and immediately halted, shrugging a shoulder to drop the minigun into position and take aim.

"Woah, woah, woah, big man!" yelped a male voice. Handsome Jack came around onto the scene with Nadie half a second behind to see a familiar-looking blonde haired man settled in the front seat, in some odd frozen pose as he had gone from reclining to a defensive stance with hands in the air when Lawson had come around and aimed the gun at him.

"Alexander?" Nadie questioned in surprise. "How did you get here before us?"

"Hi, Nadie!" Alexander chirped, not shifting his gaze from the huge gun aimed at him. For all the worry on his face, his voice was light and cheery.

"Who's the big man in the hat?"

"That's my dad."

"What? Seriously?" He looked away from Lawson then, peering at her. "Are… are you sure? You sure he isn't a bear in disguise?"

"Yes, I'm sure," the Siren retorted, rolling her eyes. Lawson grunted once and hefted the minigun back on his shoulder.

"This the loafer?" he asked, the inquiry directed to Nadie, but his gaze still locked on their visitor. Alexander gasped in horror.

"Nadie! What slander have you been filling his ears with?"

"I just tell him about my days. Don't take it personally, Alexander; if you don't work over twelve hours a day, you're a slacker in my father's eyes."

Lawson shot her a look over his shoulder. She spotted it and then nodded, ignoring the intent of his expression.

"Oh, you're right, Dad. Fourteen hours a day."

Lawson just snorted in response.

"How the hell did you manage to get out of Opportunity, Squeaky?" Handsome Jack demanded.

"Mostly over buildings," Alexander replied as he leaned into the back of the truck and took up his sniper rifle, throwing it over his shoulder as he hopped out of the vehicle.

"Once I made sure Gerty and the kids were out, I came back to see if I could find you guys and Lucille. Never did find her."

Handsome Jack watched Nadie flinch.

"She's dead, Alexander," the Siren informed him. A breath escaped him in a sharp hiss.

"What?"

"The bandits' pet assassin killed her," Handsome Jack responded. Alexander looked between the two of them for a moment and then shifted his rifle, a hard expression settling on his face.

"When do we pay them back?"

"Let's focus on the truck first," Lawson ordered, walking passed them toward the vehicle. "We ain't going anywhere without a set of wheels."

"Thanks for the rescue back there," Nadie told Alexander as they followed after her father, Hyperion's president a few steps behind, studying both of them.

"Sorry I didn't take out the girl…" Alexander replied, drawing abreast and walking next to his boss. "I thought the bullymong was more dangerous. I saw the explosives on her, of course, but I didn't realize she had _that_ many on her."

"Hold on," Handsome Jack interrupted from behind them. " _You_ took that shot?"

Nadie and Alexander exchanged a look.

"Yeah," he answered simply, shrugging.

"He's probably the best sniper I've ever met," Nadie assured him. Alexander looked over at her.

"Aww, why thank you, Nadie! I only made that shot from over 2800 yards away to take out the one bullymong threatening you. I mean, never mind the rakks that were harrying me or the fact that the Warrior was tearing apart the building beneath me. It was just another day in the life that is mine. But don't let that dissuade you from complimenting my honestly awe-inspiring skills. You are the mistress of munitions; you would understandably get how amazing I am."

Nadie gave him a flat look while Alexander just beamed at her.

"Ok, ok," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You're _definitely_ the best sniper I've ever met. Feel better?"

"Oh, you don't need to compliment me, Nadie," he chirped. "I'm just good at what I do!"

Lawson looked up from studying the wreckage that was the truck and stared at Alexander for a moment before letting out a huff. The Siren glanced over at him.

"Yeah, I agree."

"What the hell. Does he speak another language?" Handsome Jack questioned.

"Are you sure he's not a bear?" Alexander asked again.

"Yes and no," she answered each before walking over to stand next to her father. "So? What are its chances?"

He looked down at her for a moment.

"You're the mechanic," he retorted.

"What? You expect _me_ to fix this thing? I work with guns, not vehicles!"

"I would have thought you'd have taken apart the trucks at some point during your time doing tours," Lawson observed dryly. "Nothing else in town was safe."

Nadie clicked her tongue.

"What do you think I had Dylan for? He was my mechanic. Besides, if I even looked at those trucks the wrong way, he smacked my hands."

Handsome Jack sighed irritably.

"Squeaky, you know anything about vehicles?"

"Uh, I took an auto mechanic class like ten years ago."

"Hell. That's going to have to do. Come help me. We'll see if we can get this thing running. You two…" He peered intently at the Tirrells. "Go… go wrestle a bullymong or something. Commune with nature. Whatever it is you people do out in the middle of this godforsaken planet."

"Hey," Nadie protested half-heartedly.

Without another word, Hyperion's president stalked toward the truck, Alexander close in tow. Lawson grunted.

"Give him a chance," the Siren pleaded gently as she plopped down on the ground nearby. "It's been a rough day for both of us."

"Yeah, I noticed the sniping at each other on the beach."

Nadie let out a short breath. Her father settled down beside her and quirked an eyebrow, waiting to see if she would volunteer more.

"We're having some trust issues," she explained.

"Mm." He nodded once, studying Handsome Jack thoughtfully. Nadie watched her father closely.

"What? Is that something for you two to bond over?"

Lawson glanced back at his daughter.

"Look at what your mother tried to do. I know a thing or two about betrayal."

She sighed softly. "Then maybe you can convince him that's not what I'm going to do to him."

The sheriff fell silent for a minute as he went back to his observation before saying, "A man like that doesn't become who he is and how he is without a lot of history. All you can do is keep doing what you're doing, Nadie."

The Siren joined her father in his study.

"It's hard, Dad. I don't know that he'll ever trust me fully."

"He may not."

"I know. But that doesn't stop me from hoping."

Quiet descended between the Tirrells as Handsome Jack and Alexander kept at their work, their banter a low murmur in the background.

"Has he threatened to shoot you?" her father asked suddenly.

"What? No."

"Feed you to the Warrior? Push you out a window? Bury you six feet under?"

"No," she answered, wondering where her father was going with this.

Lawson clapped his hands on his knees as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Then I think you're doing fine, Nadie."

A low, coughing rumble suddenly sounded and the truck growled its way into a miserable-sounding life. Both Tirrells looked up at Alexander's exclamation of success.

"It's alive! Aliiiiiiiive!"

Lawson grunted as he closed the distance so that he could look over the truck.

"That would be Lawson for 'good work,'" Nadie explained teasingly as she followed him over. Alexander peered at her.

"Are you _sure_ he's not a bear in disguise? He sounds like one."

Nadie sighed and shook her head while Lawson climbed into the driver's seat of the truck.

"Let's go. There's a town just north of us. We can make use of the fast travel there."

The sheriff didn't sound angry or threatening, but there was a firmness in his tone that left no room for argument. The trio scrambled after him, Handsome Jack taking a seat in the back next to Alexander, leaving the front seat open for Nadie. The choice wasn't prompted out of kindness or chivalry—it let him keep an eye on her much more easily. Once everyone was in, Lawson wasted no time in turning the truck's wheels and beginning making his way north.

"Overlook?" Nadie questioned. Lawson shook his head.

"Thousand Cuts. We want to get away from Opportunity and off the radar as soon as we can." He fell silent for a long moment and then glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you all right?" His voice was gruff, but she knew it was fueled by honest concern. Nadie let out a slow hiss from between her teeth.

"Well, my boyfriend and I were just attacked, run out of our city, he's been cut off from his back-up, one of my best friends has been murdered, and, oh yeah, some bandits now hold the Vault Key. You tell me if I'm all right."

Lawson swore.

"Not only do these psychos have control of Pandora's wildlife, they've also got the Warrior?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying," Nadie pronounced grumpily. "Though fuck me if I know how they managed this sorcerery with the animals."

The sheriff was silent for a few minutes.

"They have the Heart."

Nadie froze and then slowly turned to look at her father.

"…What?"

He let out a puff of breath that almost sounded exasperated.

"They have the Heart," he repeated.

She stared at him for a heartbeat before cursing.

" _Fuck!_ " She kicked the dashboard in front of her with such strength that it cracked inward, leaving a hole. Handsome Jack shifted cautiously and Alexander jumped.

"What? What? What's so bad about them having this Heart?"

Nadie snarled a few more impolite things before she finally wrangled her temper in enough to speak civilly.

"It's an Eridian artifact that's supposed to give its possessor control of all the fauna of Pandora."

"I'm sorry, what?" Handsome Jack sputtered.

"Yup, you heard me. Clearly, it is all it's advertised to be," she added dryly, shooting her skeptic of a father a look.

"It's a damn pain in the ass is what it is," Lawson responded irritably.

Nadie shook her head angrily.

"Pops has been looking for that thing for decades. How in the world did they get it before him?"

"By sheer luck and coincidence, apparently," her father answered. "It was hidden in the Warrior's chamber."

Nadie stared at Lawson flatly while Handsome Jack swore from behind them in the back of the truck.

"How the hell could I have possibly missed an Eridian artifact like that in my own Vault?" Hyperion's president snapped.

"That's it," Nadie growled. "I'm going to kill them all."

The chatter in the truck ceased as both Handsome Jack and Nadie fell silent, each embroiled in their own frustration of yet another element lined up in their enemies' favor. Alexander looked between the two of them, studied Lawson for half a second, realized he'd get no help there, and then quietly scooted into the corner of the truck bed as far from everyone as he could get.

An uncomfortable silence remained within the truck for some time, broken only by the creaks and alarming coughs the truck's engine gave off. After a while, Nadie let out a slow breath and turned to look back at the men behind her.

"Are you guys all right?"

"I'm fine," Alexander replied immediately, giving her a cheery smile. Handsome Jack glanced at the blonde haired man once before giving her a sardonic look.

"Really?"

She sighed.

"Yes, yes, I know. Trust me, I know. But you're at least physically all right?"

He looked like he was about to retort with some sarcastic comment or another, but he bit it back at the last second.

"Yeah, I'm ok, all things considered."

"Good."

Abruptly, the truck's breaks shrieked out a protest as Lawson slammed his foot down. Nadie squeaked as she flailed and both Alexander and Handsome Jack immediately grabbed onto the edges of the truck for stability. The moment the force of the sudden stop lost its hold on her, Nadie whipped around to see what had caused the end to their travels.

"Oh hell," Nadie whispered, eyes wide. Lawson grunted once in agreement.

Thousand Cuts had at one point been a bandit town ruled by a man known as the Slab King. Being quite a distance from home, Nadie had never paid much attention to its existence aside from a vague displeasure that bandits had a permanent and defendable base of operations. When Hyperion had settled onto Pandora, they had completely demolished the ramshackle town and built a thriving little city in its place.

What lay before them were not ruins—ruins insinuated an age, a gravity of time gone by. What was before them was nothing short of a massacre. Buildings were utterly decimated and wide swaths of land burned under bright hot fire. Claw marks scarred the soil and rubble, evidence of the Warrior's attention, and scattered across the ground were the unmoving bodies of the inhabitants. The air was permeated by the bitter tang of iron. No one in the truck was unfamiliar with that smell; the destruction was so thorough it was unlikely anyone still lived.

"What the hell are those assholes doing?!" Handsome Jack snarled. "These people are just workers and their families! I know they've got it out for me, but seriously! What the fuck!"

"Overlook it is," Lawson stated firmly. His tone was even, but his face was tight. He turned the truck's wheels northward and began driving, avoiding the travesty that was Thousand Cuts. While the truck rumbled down the path unevenly, Nadie spun and climbed over the seatback into the bed of the truck. Handsome Jack leaned back to give her access and to get out of her way. She didn't bother to glance at either man; she crawled toward a heavy chest bolted to the bed's floor, tapped in a code on the electronic lock, and popped the top open. The Siren peered in and then groaned.

"Dad!"

The sheriff grunted once.

"There were a lot of skags."

"What's the fuss with the box?" Alexander inquired.

"Normally there are enough weapons in here to outfit a small army," she grumbled.

"A _lot_ of skags," Lawson's voice rumbled from the driver's seat in emphasis. Nadie frowned.

"We're going to have to restock." She scrambled back up into the passenger seat.

"Thoughts?"

"Cross our fingers and hope Overlook still stands," Lawson replied. "I'd rather not drive the entire way back to Erikeep."

The truck's engine let out an unhappy cough.

"Assuming we made it that far," the sheriff added. "We'll stop at a small nook tucked away in the mountains. There's a lake there and we can get that blood off you." He glanced at Nadie. "We're lucky we haven't caught anything's attention yet."

"I'm all for not dealing with any more skags today," Handsome Jack agreed testily, "but can we really afford the side trip? We need to get the Key back before those psychos burn Pandora to the ground. I'd like to avoid that—most of my stuff is here."

Lawson grunted.

"Yes, we can afford the extra time spent. They're primary goal right now is hunting you. We lie low for a while, it'll make them think we went a different way and they'll expand their search. That'll leave more gaps in their defenses and make it more likely they're not going to spend the time razing other cities to the ground."

Handsome Jack frowned.

"You're assuming they think like rational human beings. Bandits are worse than rabid dogs."

"I ain't thinking of them like people," Lawson retorted. "I'm thinking of them like hunters. Hunters who ain't worried about collateral damage. Keeping off the radar is probably the best help we can be for the towns around here."

A puff of disapproval escaped Hyperion's president, but he let the matter lie. Taking his silence as assent, or, at least, a grudging acceptance of the plan, Lawson turned off the main path and began down a winding track that might once have been used for guidance. It had clearly been some time since it had seen passage, and the distressed truck had no real shocks left to speak of, making the ride uncomfortably bumpy to say the least.

"Naaaadie," Alexander whined, flopping over the seatback so his arms hung down it, looking all the world like a puppy that had been kicked.

"Switch seats with me. You want to sit with your boyfriend, right?"

Nadie looked back at him, eyebrows raised.

"What's this? Are you giving up on your unrequited crush?"

Handsome Jack stared at the back of both their heads.

"Um?" he protested.

"It's not that," Alexander assured her quickly. "I just thought you might like to sit with him."

Nadie laughed.

"I'll trade spots with you, Alexander, but don't expect it to be any more comfortable up here than back there. There's no cushions left in these seats and I'm pretty sure the front shocks are being digested in a skag's stomach somewhere."

"There isn't even a seat warmer?"

"No, Alexander, there's no seat warmer."

"Aww. Never mind, I'll stay back here." He settled back down in his corner, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

"I see how high I rate," Handsome Jack began, rolling his eyes dramatically. "The moment a possibility of comfort arises, not only do you try and hide your motives, but you selfishly don't even ask if I might be interested in it."

Alexander's eyes widened and he let out a squeal of self-directed horror. Handsome Jack went on, shaking his head, for all intents and purposes the disappointed superior.

"And here I thought you were my most loyal, reliable employee. Shame on me for having any trust in you."

Even as he needled the blonde haired sniper, he watched the back of Nadie's head out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh! No, no, no, no!" Alexander protested hurriedly.

In the front seat, Nadie's head tipped forward and Handsome Jack watched her shoulders begin to shake.

"I would never forget about your needs or comfort!" Alexander continued to wail. "Please don't think my devotion has wavered! Nadie, stop laughing! This is serious!"

At that, Nadie broke out into a full bought of giggles. She looked back at Alexander.

"Busted," she teased. The gun designer squeaked unhappily and the Siren glanced back at Handsome Jack, giving him an unsure smile. He took a breath to say something, but Lawson's voice cut in.

"Knock it off, children. The loafer's going to bring any stalkers around down on us with the way he's caterwauling. We're almost there."

The heckling died down and Nadie straightened in her seat as the truck worked its way in and out of the slim pathway that curved between two rocky crags. There wasn't much of a view, and they spent more time in the shadows cast by the hills than in the light.

Finally, Lawson brought the truck around and Nadie's jaw dropped.

"Wow," she breathed.

Nestled in between the grassy hills of the Highlands was a sizeable haven of greenery. A plain sloped softly down to a nook surrounded by a series of trees, and hidden beneath their bows like a natural screen was a small lake barely visible. A waterfall fed the pool, its origin somewhere from up within the mountains that stood imposingly nearby. Small blue and orange flowers danced with the grass in a light breeze.

"We can relax here for a little while." Lawson leaned into the back of the truck, grabbed a cloth bag, and dropped it in Nadie's lap.

"Why haven't you ever showed me this place?" she asked, eyes wide, unable to look away from the natural beauty before her. For a woman who had grown up in the desert, this sanctuary challenged Opportunity's claim to being the most magnificent place she had ever seen.

"Too many memories," Lawson all but growled and hopped out of the truck, swinging a duffle bag up over his shoulder. Nadie tore her gaze from the view and studied her father's back worriedly as he stalked out into the field toward a spot that looked like it might have once served as a campground.

"What got under his skin?" Handsome Jack questioned. Nadie looked back at him.

"Don't push this button, Jack, please." She clambered out of the truck with a sigh.

"What the hell happened between you guys and your mom?"

She stared up at him silently for a long moment and then took a slow breath.

"She decided wealth was more important than family. When I was about five and my Siren powers manifested for the first time, my mother went behind Dad's back and began negotiating with several companies to sell me to them. Dad found out before she closed any of the deals. He was, to say the least, less than happy. She was given a one-way ticket off planet and told at gunpoint never to come back to Pandora. That was the last I ever saw her."

A corner of her lip curled and she turned back toward the lake.

"Now I definitely need a bath."

Without waiting for either man to say anything more, she made her way down through the grass.

"Holy crap," Alexander burst out when she was out of hearing range. "Nadie's a Siren?"

Handsome Jack looked back at him flatly.

"Are you serious?"

"What? I just thought she had been in some hardcore gang or something. She never talked about where she came from. I assumed her markings were just tattoos."

Hyperion's president just shook his head irritably.


	16. Chapter 15

Nadie let out a slow breath and leaned heavily against the small rock in the water of the lake that was serving as a makeshift table. The water was cool on her skin and helped calm her temper—the day had been crappy, the escape from Opportunity harrowing, but nothing destroyed her mood like talking about the woman who had given birth to her.

The sound of brush rustling brought her right around, picking up her pistol and taking a level aim at the intruder. Handsome Jack stopped from approaching, hands raised, a vaguely amused smile on his lips.

"I knew you were angry with me, but I didn't think you were _that_ mad."

The Siren sighed and immediately dropped her sights on him, setting the gun back down on the rock.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Opportunity is one thing, but out here, you never go anywhere unarmed."

"Or without expecting a fight, apparently," he responded. There was a moment between them before he questioned, "Your sniper… He's a unique one, isn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

He waved a hand back toward the campground in Alexander's direction.

"You tell him that his friend died and he seems pissed about it, and then the next moment, he's all cheery smiles. Not many… people have that sort of abrupt mood swings."

Nadie heard the missing word of "normal" clearly.

"Oh, don't let that bubbly attitude fool you," she replied as she twisted her hair to squeeze out some of the water. "That personality is just a mask. Trust me—Lucille's death hit Alexander hard. He just won't show it to either of us."

"Why? Does he not trust us?"

"It's not that." She shook her head. "It's that he doesn't want to burden us. He's a complicated creature, Jack. He understands people to an almost empathic degree. He knows we have more than enough on our plate. But I can safely guarantee you he's already plotted out right down to the nanosecond how he's going to take out the man who killed her. And trust me; he's creative."

Handsome Jack frowned.

"I'm never quite sure what to think of him."

Nadie chuckled.

"I think Gerty is the only person in the world who has his true number. But don't misunderstand him—the fact Alexander came back for us is very telling. He won't lift a finger for anyone he doesn't care for."

Hyperion's president "hmed" thoughtfully, an expression of consideration on his face. Nadie studied him for a moment before speaking carefully.

"How are you?"

He refocused on her and let out a short breath.

"Irritated. Frustrated. Pissed. Take your pick." He fell silent and they stared at each other for a few heartbeats in an uncomfortable silence. Then, he sighed.

"Nadie…" He stopped, his lips thinning, before he forced himself to continue. "Sorry."

She froze, blinking in surprise.

"What?"

He rolled his eyes, but the exasperation in the gesture didn't seem heartfelt.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "You're right—there's no way what happened in Opportunity was your doing. Hell, you've been in the department or with me ever since the night we were first together. You didn't exactly have enough time to design something of this magnitude."

"Yup… Unless I somehow managed to set all these events in motion prior to the unbelievable coincidence of meeting you and catching your interest," she responded dryly.

"Babe," he chastised her, "you're cheapening my apology. Don't do that. I don't apologize often."

She smiled, but tipped her head to hide her amusement at his affronted tone.

"Sorry," she murmured.

"Apology accepted," he replied primly. "Now that we've gotten that nastiness out of the way…"

The speed at which he went from an uncomfortable admission of guilt to a magnanimous acceptance of her acknowledgement of error made her laugh.

"You're something, Jack," she said with a chuckle.

"You love me and you know it," he responded easily.

"I do," she agreed, her expression softening, her gaze seeking out his.

"I know you don't trust me. It saddens me, but I can't, and won't, try to force you to. I can only hope one day I'll win you over." She held her hands out and shrugged slightly.

"Believe it or not, I have every intention of being at your side. For good or for ill, against bandits or armies or even the Warrior—heavens, I can't believe that's where we are with this fiasco…" The Siren shook her head, frowning irritably, but she only allowed herself a moment to be sidetracked before she returned to her line of thought and gave him a half smile.

"As long as you'll have me, I'll have your back. Against any and all enemies you might have."

He met her gaze for a long minute, no expression on his face. When he spoke, his voice was neutral.

"You sure, babe? You have no idea what bridges they've burned or the chasm that separates us. Our differences run deep."

Nadie chuckled.

"Don't forget, I enjoy free climbing. Sheer walls are just a challenge to me. I'm pretty sure stark differences of opinion aren't going to scare me off."

"I don't brook imbeciles or traitors," he warned her. Her smile faded.

"Neither do I. And I'll be frank with you—I also respond poorly to people who will sacrifice family and friends for money or material gains. If something is yours, you protect it. If you claim it, you fight for it. If that's a problem, now's a good time to tell me."

"Or else you'll leave me to this catastrophe?" he demanded, a hint of a growl entering his tone, and he gestured in the general direction of Opportunity.

"No," she replied, recognizing she was pressing against his temper, but willing to take the risk. "Don't forget, they killed one of my best friends. Even were we to go our separate ways, I'll see this through at your side with you. I want to see these bastards buried six feet under for all they've done. So no, I won't abandon you. I won't leave you." She crinkled her nose.

"It just means we wouldn't be sleeping together anymore."

She knew it was a gamble pitting his lust against his anger, but since he had made the effort to come out to her, she thought the payout might be worth it.

A hiss escaped him like she had struck him with a blow to the gut and a bitter smile curled his lips.

"Now that was just mean, sweet cheeks."

"Hey, you're not the only one upset by that prospect," she informed him. "I happen to _like_ sleeping with you. I don't want to give that up."

What aggression that had still been in his posture eased as he laughed.

"Admit it, babe—you can't get enough of me."

"I can't," she agreed easily and a wicked grin settled on her features. "And I hope the feeling is mutual. I'd be very disappointed if I didn't have the same effect on you."

"Mm, I dunno, babe," he responded teasingly, crossing his arms over his chest. "There's been so much that's happened today… My memory seems a bit fuzzy at present."

She chuckled.

"You need a reminder then?" The Siren gave him a sultry smile and made her way through the water toward him, watching the smirk of anticipation that curled across his lips. She only got a few paces before her foot hit a stone hidden in the mud of the lake and she stumbled, a little squeak of surprise escaping her. Handsome Jack responded immediately, taking two quick steps toward her before he realized she had already caught herself and straightened.

"Talk about ruining any attempt at being sexy," Nadie grumbled irritably. He laughed.

"Tell you what. You stay there," he ordered as he started pulling his jacket off. "I'll come to you. I'm afraid you're going to take a tumble and start drowning again."

She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"This lake is like four feet deep at this end. I'm not going to drown even if I slip."

"Not sure I believe you, babe," he retorted, grin mischievous. "You've already gotten in over your head once."

She let out an amused huff.

"I am never going to live that down, am I?"

"Just consider yourself lucky that you have such a handsome, charismatic, caring—"

Nadie crooked an eyebrow.

"—considerate, brave, valiant—"

She crossed her arms over her chest, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"—admirable, suave, gracious, humble—"

"All right," she interrupted, laughing. "I already know how amazing you are."

"Boyfriend," he finished.

"And now that we have that established, you'd best make good on my offer and get over here and put that tongue to a different use, otherwise we're going to have a new problem."

His brows quirked upward, but he tugged off the last of his clothes.

"Will it be a fun kind of problem?" he asked hopefully.

"It is a problem that might include restraints."

"Kinky."

Handsome Jack stepped down into the lake to join her and hissed as the water hit his skin.

"Holy crap, that's freezing!"

"Come closer," she purred in invitation. "I promise you won't notice the temperature in a few minutes."

"You might have to convince me of that, sweetheart."

She held out a hand to him.

"Challenge accepted."

Meanwhile, Lawson was staring at the back of Alexander's head as the latter bemoaned the loss of his spice rack in the attack on Opportunity. The gun designer had been going on for some time about his displeasure with the rations and how the meal would be subpar to what he would be able to do with these same materials if he had the proper tools. Lawson's face never changed, his posture never altered, but Nadie would have known he was quickly approaching the end of his patience with the blonde haired man.

"Try this," Alexander suddenly entreated, spinning toward the sheriff and holding out a spoon to him. Lawson's gaze flickered to the utensil and then back up to Alexander's hopeful face.

"Pass. I'll eat when it's done."

"But I need a second opinion on this! I'm not sure it's palatable!" Alexander pouted.

"Will it poison us?"

"What?!" the chef yelped, his tone shocked and hurt. "I would never poison anyone enjoying my cuisine!"

Lawson grunted.

"Then it'll be fine. Food is for sustenance, not pleasure."

Alexander gasped in horror and almost dropped the spoon. He scrambled to catch the implement before it hit the ground and then he clutched it to his chest like a teddy bear, giving Lawson an appalled look.

"I'm beginning to see where Nadie got her cavalier attitude toward life's necessities." He waggled the spoon at the sheriff. "Well, I taught her better. It can't be any harder to break you of that habit than it was her."

Lawson let out a huff.

"Don't bet on it."

Suddenly, there was a soft burst of purple light from down by the lake. Lawson responded immediately, quickly rising to his feet, a concerned expression passing across his face, but Alexander waved the spoon in a soothing gesture.

"No, no, papa bear. They don't need you right now."

Lawson fixed his one good eye on Alexander.

"That was her power going off," he all but growled, ready to go to his daughter's rescue. Alexander shook his head.

"They're working things out right now. Trust me, they don't need you. You can't tell me you didn't notice the tension between them all the way here. They've got stuff to figure out."

The sheriff looked back toward the lake, but when he saw no secondary burst of light nor heard any sound of combat, he reluctantly settled back down.

"I wasn't aware that trying to kill one another was an aspect of romance nowadays."

"Are you kidding?" Alexander chuckled. "I remember the first time Gerty tried to kill me. We had only been dating for six months." He sighed happily, a wistful expression on his face. Lawson stared at him flatly. When the gun designer noticed the look, he beamed.

"I'll tell you the story, if you'd like. It's a story of love and romance, an affair fraught with danger and subterfuge!"

"No thanks," Lawson replied dryly.

"It's a story of conflict and hatred, set on the backdrop of the war-torn planet of Demophon," Alexander continued, oblivious to Lawson's protest. "It was an unexpected love affair, taking both of us by surprise, threatening every concept of family and propriety we had!"

"I really don't care," the sheriff informed him bluntly.

"Like any good story, it began on a stormy night under cerulean clouds that spat verdigris bolts of lightning amongst themselves…"

Lawson groaned. He knew Alexander's type—Darrell was the same way. There was no stopping them once they got started.

/

/

Tiny Tina stared at Brick.

Brick stared back.

Tiny Tina tilted her chin up in defiance.

Brick crossed his arms over his chest and loomed.

They had been silently posturing at each other for several minutes until Maya finally cut in with a sigh.

"Tina?"

Tiny Tina's rebellion crumbled at the Siren's voice.

"I wasn't about to just let a chance to kill Handsome Jack slip by me," she burst out in a huff.

Maya let a slow breath out from between her teeth and gave the girl a half smile.

"I know. Believe me, I know. But we knew the assault on Opportunity was going to be dangerous, and even with the animals' assistance, we might not succeed."

"And we didn't!" Tina snapped irritably. "He got out of Opportunity alive!"

"It's only a matter of time," Maya soothed. "Most of his people are dead or scattered, he doesn't have the Vault Key, and our dear little Mechromancer has made sure that he won't be getting any back-up from Helios. He doesn't have any other aces up his sleeve."

"He's got a Siren," the girl replied testily. Brick and Maya exchanged a look.

"What?" Maya stared at Tina intently.

"He's got a green-haired Siren with him," she informed them.

"Really? Did you see what her power was?"

The young woman shook her head.

"She didn't use it, sorry."

Maya frowned and looked back at Brick.

"Steele," she counted off, tapping a finger. "Lilith. Asha. Angel. Me."

"That would make this one number six. Since I doubt she's a reborn Siren?" He glanced at Tiny Tina who shook her head.

"Oh no, she was waaaaay older than me."

"How does that man keep finding himself Sirens?" Brick grumbled.

"I hadn't heard about the sixth Siren coming to Pandora," Maya murmured.

"Maybe she was already here," Brick offered. The Siren crinkled her nose.

"Why would it have taken her until now to show up?"  
The question hung in the air for a moment before she waved a dismissive hand.

"I guess it doesn't really matter. What does matter is Handsome Jack has access to a Siren with unknown powers. _That_ is a problem."

"If anyone saw something, it'll be Zer0," Brick stated. He fixed his attention on Tiny Tina. "When is he reporting in?"

The bombardier blinked at her giant companion.

"I'unno. He hasn't come back yet?"

"No." The big Vault Hunter shifted his bulk uncomfortably, trying to ease the ache in his muscles. "I thought he'd sent you along ahead of him."

"Nuh-uh," Tina replied, shaking her head. "I haven't seen him since he got my butt out of the fire."

Brick glanced over at Maya and the Siren's brows crooked together.

"I haven't seen Asha or Azrae either," she remarked worriedly. She turned her focus back to the young girl.

"Did anything happen to them?"

Tiny Tina scuffed a toe across the floor.

"I'm not sure. Since I sorta… invited myself to the party—"

"Sneaked out," Brick corrected.

"Joined without permission," Tiny Tina retorted primly, "I didn't let either of them see me. I even avoided the Crimson Raiders."

"Calling Zer0 was only because you got in over your head," Maya supplied gently.

"Yeah…" The blonde haired girl sighed. "I wanted to end it, Maya. I wanted to avenge Roland and Lilith and Mordi…" She trailed off as tears gathered in her eyes.

"It's ok," Maya assured her and patted the top of the girl's beret with the bare tips of her fingers, careful not to catch the burn scars on the cloth. Tiny Tina sucked in a breath and hissed it out, fighting to get control of her features.

"I'll go find Zer0," she offered, her tone ladened with emotion that she grappled to hide.

"I'll go with you," Maya responded. "Brick, you'll stay here and keep Tanis safe?"

The big man grunted irritably.

"I don't like not getting to go do the fun stuff anymore," he grumbled.

"You and me both," Maya retorted with a dry chuckle. "I know I have a veritable army at my beck and call, but that doesn't mean I enjoy having to stay in the background because of these." She gestured with a hand to the knotted scaring across her body.

"At least you healed better," Brick pointed out.

"Only because I'm a Siren and I used some of the Eridium we had left." Her fingers twitched at the memory. "Otherwise I'd be in the same boat as you, big man. Even still, my reflexes and stamina aren't what they used to be. I can't throw myself into the field of battle anymore."

"Sucks, don't it?"

"Incredibly."

The two former Vault Hunters stared at each other for a few heartbeats, sharing a moment of frustration with the events of their lives, before Tiny Tina interrupted.

"Ok, ok, enough moping! It doesn't help any of us. Let's go find Zer0. He's probably got good news for us."

"We'll be back soon, Brick," Maya told him and turned to follow the bombardier.

"Let's go get Enrique!" Tina decreed brightly. "He needs some exercise!"

"Not going to lie… Much happier with the flaming skag now that I can tell him to go munch on other people…" Maya grumbled.


	17. Chapter 16

The truck didn't make it all the way to Overlook, which was probably just as well as they only would have drawn more attention if they had rolled in on a vehicle belching smoke. As it was, the arrival of a big man wielding a mingun, a Siren, and the Hero of Pandora was still enough to bring about a prompt burst of activity.

Handsome Jack was met by the townsfolk with equal parts awe, love, and fear, and there wasn't a single person who didn't recognize him the moment they laid eyes on him. Whatever instinct to hurry their travels along he had possessed was clearly forgotten in the attention and adoration of the crowd as Hyperion's president allowed himself to be led further into the center of town by compliments, exclamations of pleasure at his presence, and inquiring questions about what had happened in Opportunity.

"Hneh," Lawson grunted. "He's popular."

"He is the Hero of Pandora," Nadie pointed out, the crowds forcing some distance between them and Handsome Jack. Even the markings across Nadie's skin garnered bare attention when pitted against the charisma of a socialite in his element.

Alexander beamed brightly.

"He's also handsome and amazing and—"

"Getting pulled away from us," Nadie cut in irritably. She started working her way through the crowd after her lover, trying to close the distance, a feat made difficult by the dozens of people trying to do the same thing even if it was for different reasons.

"What's the fuss for?" Alexander piped up from behind her, following in her wake. "It's just a crowd of adoring fans separating us from our boss who's wanted dead by a rebellious group of armed bandits who are in possession of the Vault Key."

Lawson let out a snort.

"I can't tell if you're being stupid or sarcastic. I'm not a fan of either."

"Aw, but I thought we were really bonding, papa bear!"

"Knock it off, you two," the Siren snapped as she continued fighting against the crowd.

Handsome Jack, for his part, was aware, but only vaguely, of the growing distance between himself and his companions. The townsfolk were full of questions about his presence and the goings-on in Opportunity, and Hyperion's president was only too happy to weave them a tale of the harrowing escape from a city overrun by bandits and wild animals, tactically avoiding the mention of the loss of the Vault Key.

"That's awful!" one of Overlook's inhabitants exclaimed.

"Are they coming here?" another asked in concern.

"They're location is still unknown," Handsome Jack acknowledged, tilting his head to make clear his awareness of the displeasure his statement brought. "But I have no intention of allowing these bandits to continue running rampant for long. They've already done enough damage and I'm not about to let their chaos threaten the safety and order I've built here for all of you."

"Are you going to be able to beat them?"

Hyperion's president frowned.

"Who asked that? Of course I can. I'm the Hero of Pandora, remember? I beat the Destroyer, I tamed the Warrior, and I brought peace to this formerly bandit-infested planet. I'll be damned if I'm going to let this resurgence go without—"

He was cut off by the sharp crack of a gunshot and he reeled as a bullet took him in the chest. Barely a heartbeat passed before everything exploded into anarchy.

"Jack!" Nadie screamed while a howl of fear went up through the crowd and people began to run.

"Sniper, 50 yards!" Alexander yelled even as he turned to hunt down the shooter, deftly diving through the scattering crowd. Armed men and women dressed in the colors of the Crimson Raiders emerged from their hiding places under buildings and out of dumpsters, opening fire on anyone passing through their sights. Nadie caught hold of Handsome Jack's arm and yanked him toward her and hopefully out of the line of fire, her wings manifesting as her power washed over him. He gasped and spat out blood as her gift forced his body to heal and eject the bullet from where it had lodged in his lung.

"Holy crap, that hurts," he hissed, coughing, relearning to breathe now that was no longer a hole in his chest.

"You'll be fine, let's go," Nadie assured him brusquely, dragging him through the town turned battlefield, her hand going for her firearm.

"Head to the fast travel," Lawson ordered even as he dropped the minigun and drew out a heavy revolver, taking aim at one of the Crimson Raiders approaching. The gun let out a surprisingly loud boom for its size as he fired and the attacker went down with a shriek of agony.

"We can't fight them all," Nadie shot over her shoulder as she took out another pair of Crimson Raiders, one right after another.

"I know," Lawson retorted, raising his voice as he took several strides forward. "I'll cover you."

"Your dad uses a Jacobs revolver?" Handsome Jack questioned, his voice a little breathless, but he had straightened and joined her in shooting any Raiders they came across on their way toward the fast travel. "And I almost respected him."

"Why do you notice this crap at the most random of times?" the Siren grumbled.

"Always gotta keep an eye on the competition, babe."

"Well, your eye for business certainly doesn't fail you," Nadie laughed, "but can you keep your eye on the prize?"

"I got you, didn't I?" he retorted, firing at a couple of Crimson Raiders as they made their way through Overlook's streets. Nadie grinned.

"That you did! Half a dozen coming up on our left!"

"Handsome Jack sighted!" one of the Raiders shouted loudly to alert the others. Hyperion's president swung around to take aim and Nadie shifted her position to stand abreast of him. They fired on the approaching Crimson Raiders, ducking behind walls and random equipment left out in the street.

"Come out!" one of the Raiders ordered. "This all ends when you die!"

Handsome Jack snorted derisively.

"Like I'm going to give my life to a filthy bandit! Pass!" he snarled back. He shifted, preparing himself to lean around his makeshift shield and take a shot at another of the armed men.

Suddenly, a grenade came merrily bouncing down the street to roll to a stop at the feet of the Crimson Raiders pinning the pair down. One of them had just enough time to start a yell of, "Grenade!" to warn his companions before it went off, sending them screaming in random directions. Handsome Jack looked over at Nadie who shrugged unsurely and both turned to find its point of origin.

"Come on, come on," Harolt demanded, beckoning them frantically.

"Am I about to regret that I didn't kill him?" Handsome Jack asked dryly.

"I don't know, but I'd rather find out then stay here and fight any more of these assholes," the Siren replied as she started toward the newcomer. Handsome Jack followed cautiously after and they finally caught up with Harolt in front of the fast travel station.

"Look," Harolt began the moment they reached him, not giving them a chance to ask anything. "I don't like him." He gestured at Handsome Jack, his eyes locked to Nadie's, refusing to so much as look at the president. "But…" He gritted his teeth and glanced around the town. "This isn't what I signed up for."

Alexander abruptly dropped down from a nearby building, a second rifle slung over his shoulder, and he paused, taking stock of the situation rapidly. He took one look at Handsome Jack and Nadie's postures and then focused on Harolt, his face going curiously blank.

"Harolt." The gun designer's voice was bland and toneless.

"It was my fault," Harolt admitted immediately. "I didn't do it. I didn't want it to happen. But it was my fault." He turned back to Nadie. "You were right. I was so caught up in my past that I lost all chance at my future."

He fell silent, eyes closed, an expression of pain crossing his features. Lawson caught up to them in that moment.

"They're as bad as spiderants. They just keep coming," he rumbled angrily. "I helped what townsfolk I could get out of the city."

"Starting to regret it," Handsome Jack stated tightly.

"Clock's ticking, Harolt," Nadie snapped. Harolt shook himself and stepped aside, away from the fast travel station.

"Sanctuary. They're in what's left of Sanctuary. Go. I'll blow the fast travel when you're through."

Lawson didn't hesitate—he grunted and pushed passed them to activate the station and input the coordinates. The machine beeped and purred into life, the screen lighting up brightly.

"Move it," Lawson ordered Alexander. The sniper stared intently at Harolt for a long moment more and the other man returned his gaze.

"When you find Zer0, you put him six feet under," Harolt directed firmly. Alexander's lips thinned.

"There's a name I haven't heard in a long time. I'll find him."

Alexander slipped in front of the fast travel and the machine immediately went to work, sending him to the network's destination point.

"Nadie," Lawson commanded. She glanced back at Handsome Jack who nodded once.

"Nadie, it's not worth anything, but I'm sorry," Harolt apologized softly. She sighed.

"So am I."

Then she was gone. Lawson looked at Handsome Jack and jerked his head to the station silently. They could hear the sounds of combat coming closer—not all of the residents of Overlook were without some form of self-defense.

Handsome Jack and Harolt met each other's gazes for a moment, and then Harolt dropped his, his shoulders slumping, the stance of a man defeated.

"For good or for ill, you _are_ the Hero of Pandora."

"Damn straight," Handsome Jack retorted. "And the sooner you people realize that, the happier everyone will be."

He didn't bother to wait to see if Harolt had a response—he tapped the fast travel's screen and then disappeared, the machine whisking him away.

Lawson studied the boy before him for a long moment and then he reloaded his revolver and handed it to him. Harolt looked up at him in surprise and took the gun unsurely. The sheriff didn't say anything; he just turned and tapped his destination on the fast travel, one moment in a combat-filled Hyperion city, the next in his sleepy little town of Erikeep.

"Dad!" Nadie greeted worriedly the moment she saw him. He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned back to the fast travel and booted up the network. After a quick study, he grunted once.

"I'll be. He held to his word. Overlook's fast travel is down."

"That'll buy up some more time at least," Nadie said with a sigh. "Long enough for us to restock, anyway."

"This is a cute little town," Alexander observed, taking in the old Dahl buildings around them, clapping his hands together delightedly. "This is where you grew up?"

"Oh damnit," the Siren swore crossly. "My boyfriend gets to meet my dad _and_ see the place I grew up in the same day and I haven't had a chance to prepare either side for it. This is like every girl's worst nightmare."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you won't have to deal with any of this on my side," Handsome Jack offered. "My parents are dead and I blew the place I grew up off the face of the planet."

She blinked a couple of times and then gave him a half smile.

"Yes, I guess that makes things easier."

"Lawson! Nadalie!" a voice greeted. An older woman with brunette hair approached them quickly, dressed nicely in clean slacks and a button-down blouse.

"How does she always know the moment someone arrives in town?" Nadie muttered under her breath. "It's not like the fast travel comes out in front of city hall. It's right in front of the sheriff's office, for heaven's sake."

"Its location was intentional," Lawson stated. "But she is good at what she does." He turned his attention to the woman bearing down on them.

"Mayor Thorpe," he replied to her greeting, and though his tone was even, something in his face or voice made her freeze a distance away.

"Is everything all right?" she asked worriedly, looking over the group. Her gaze took in the markings on Nadie's skin and a surprised expression passed across her face which rapidly changed to something akin to shock and amazement when she spotted Handsome Jack beside her. The mayor's eyes went back to Lawson's in astonishment.

"Uh, Lawson…?"

"Your town has a mayor _and_ a sheriff?" Handsome Jack questioned.

"Dad really runs the show," Nadie responded. Lawson harrumphed.

"I am simply an enforcer. I just made sure she held to her promises."

"Are you saying you guys actually have an honest politician?" Handsome Jack asked with a quirked brow. He peered at Lawson. "And I almost respect you. But you use a Jacobs revolver, I just can't. You know those guns are low tech junk, right?"

"Where is the revolver, Dad?" Nadie inquired, looking him over. Lawson looked at her a long moment and then walked away to go meet with the mayor.

"Always a softie," she said with a sigh. Handsome Jack looked over at her with a sardonic smile.

"I'm beginning to think your definition of 'softie' is a little more broad than mine, but we can talk about that later."

"I saw what you did there," she acknowledged with a smile. "Alexander?"

"Yeah?"

"See that building over there?"

"Yeah."

"That's the tavern. Go tell Ms. Evans that we could use a good meal."

"You're… you're going to make someone else make dinner?" he pouted. "What, do you not like me anymore? Is my cooking not good enough? I mean, I get the joys of home cooking, but I thought you enjoyed my food more!"

"Oh no, it's not that," she laughed. "I've lived in this town all my life. If she cooks for me, she expects me to help. I'm sending you in my stead. We live in a town of 200 people; by the time you get to the tavern, she'll know you're with me. I'm sending you to act as my champion and fill in for me."

Alexander straightened and preened a little.

"I'm your man!" He turned on his heel and bounced off toward the tavern. Nadie looked back at Handsome Jack, who was chuckling.

"You really don't like cooking, do you?"

"I really don't like cooking," she agreed, nodding. "C'mon, I'll show you the lab. If you're going to see the place I grew up in, you might as well get the grand tour. It's where all my gear is anyway."

/

/

/

Author's Note: Sorry for the brevity of this chapter… We have actually caught up to the point where I am actively writing. I will do my best to continue posting once a week, but it is possible that it may be every other week for a little while until I get a large chunk written. I'd rather skip a week and have a larger chapter than continue once a week and do smaller scenes. A full time job sometimes hampers writing time. :)

For those of you still along for the ride, thanks!


	18. Chapter 17

The first floor of the Tirrell home clearly belonged to Lawson—the small home contained a tiny front room that doubled as a dining room, a nook of a kitchen, and two small bedrooms. Or, at least, one bedroom. The other room, which looked more like a cubbyhole in Handsome Jack's opinion, was full of scraps of metal, tools, and varying knickknacks. It was the only room that wasn't neat and tidy. He glanced over at her, tsking.

"So poor you had to sleep on scraps. My, how far you've come!"

She rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Now, now. I needed more room."

"You needed more room, so you took over your bedroom? Oh, I get it! Daddy dearest won't let you get one thing out of place in his nice, organized home, so you have to use every nook and cranny he gives you. Because, seriously, this place is so clean, I think I could eat off any of the surfaces. And I do not say that lightly in a town covered in sand like this."

"One might call him a neat freak," the Siren acknowledged, "but the fact of the matter is he just doesn't let anything get messy enough to be a neat freak about."

"Your childhood must have been so frustrating."

"It was, but not for long," she chuckled, leading him to a door in the back of the house. "Then I got the basement." She opened the door and headed down the stairs, flipping on the lights to illuminate their descent.

"Ahh, he left everything exactly where it was," she observed in amusement.

"Holy crap, this is your lab?"

The "basement" had clearly been expanded at some point—Handsome Jack was positive it was larger than the house above. Heavy duty tables bearing scorch marks stood beside one another and boasted pieces and parts of every type of gun under the sun. Against one of the walls were cabinets full of tools and small mechanisms organized in some fashion likely only understandable to the Siren and on the shelving units nearby were dozens of firearms that bore no physical similarity to any of the standard weapons available on the market currently.

"Babe… This is a small fortune waiting to happen. Tell me again, why hasn't the R&D department been cranking out new designs like candy since you took over?"

"Because I've been having to put the department back together in the wake of my predecessor," she replied, laughter in her eyes. "Remember how I've been complaining about being buried under paperwork?"

"I just remember getting told that I'm a distraction and I'm not allowed to come visit my girlfriend at work anymore," he retorted dryly, walking carefully through the room and examining the many guns scattered about in varying states of completeness.

"What is this?" he questioned, gesturing to a submachine gun mounted on a stand that was missing its muzzle and the insert for the ammunition clip. She frowned crossly at it.

"That's the D-89. It wasn't cooperating."

"D-89?" he repeated, quirking a brow. "Very original name."

"Guns only get names when they make it out of prototype phase," she sniffed primly.

He looked over the veritable armory just waiting for the right time and cause and whistled appreciatively.

"How did all this even get started?"

She snorted.

"Well, I was an only child with no mother in a small town that only had a few kids my age and my father scared the hell out of everyone. Never mind the fact that I couldn't risk letting anyone know I was a Siren. I had a lot of free time on my hands growing up."

"So you started building guns?"

"I started pulling them apart before building, honestly. Dad's guns were the first in my sights… I think taking them apart began as an act of rebellion," she admitted with a slight smile. "Which only prompted weeks' worth of lessons on how to dismantle, clean, care for, and rebuild guns under my father's strict tutelage. Sometimes his soldier training just shines through."

Handsome Jack looked back at her.

"Yeah, because he doesn't already scream military," he retorted sardonically.

"You know how you gave me crap about not knowing how to do small talk? Can you see why?"

"Yes, your brute of a father has raised you perfectly for survival on a bandit-infested planet, but left to social graces, you flounder."

"I don't flounder," she protested. "I will point out that I can be polite and courteous and I can make friends if I want to."

He paused in his roaming of the lab and stooped down in the corner to pick something up.

"And was this one of them?" he inquired teasingly, holding aloft a plush skag about as long as his hands side by side. A sour expression settled on her face.

"I forgot he was down here. Found my bed, did you?" She crossed the distance to him.

"This isn't a bed," he retorted, gesturing to the small pallet covered in soft blankets and cushions. "This is barely a cot. And this plush skag is ridiculous."

She pointed at him.

"You leave Sir Bites-A-Lot out of this," she warned him. Hyperion's president grinned.

"Sir Bites-A-Lot?"

"Look, I was eight when he was given to me, ok? What do you want?"

"Why a skag? Why not a bullymong or a rakk or… God, this planet has nothing on it that's cute and cuddly. Everything will kill you."

"Not Sir Bites-A-Lot," Nadie protested. "He rescues innocent townsfolk in distress and eats the faces off bandits."

"The faces specifically?" He gave her a questioning look.

"Seriously, I was eight!"

"But faces? You have to admit, that's a little morbid for an eight year old, even one born on Pandora."

The Siren sighed.

"A few months before I got him, some of the nearby skag pack started disappearing. Nobody in town cared; that's a few less creatures to eat anyone, right? Well, no one cared until one day when we found one of the bull skags' corpses with his lower jaw missing. It was later discovered that a new bandit gang had settled in just north of us and their leader was a guy named Skagmaw who had replaced his jaw with a skag's."

Handsome Jack shook his head.

"Gotta love this fucked up planet."

"Yeah. So, Sir Bites-A-Lot travelled the length and breadth of the desert seeking to avenge his fallen pack mate and he took the faces of bandits in retribution."

"Not going to lie, that's still pretty twisted for an eight year old."

Nadie shrugged with an apologetic expression.

"Well, the image of that dead skag missing its jaw haunted me for a long time."

"You saw it? Why the hell would anyone show you that?"

"Shit like this is part and parcel with growing up out here," she replied. "Why do you think Dad wasn't upset with Hyperion taking over Pandora? It was the first sign of law and civilization this place has ever had. He'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if it meant his town would have a safe future."

"That won't happen as long as a bandit gang's nearby. What became of them? I can't imagine your dad would let them stick around."

"Oh, they were about for a couple of years, but eventually Skagmaw got cocky and greedy. He never attacked the town openly, but he started assaulting people as they came in and out, demanding a sort of feudal tithe. That lasted about a week before Dad had enough. We headed out to put him and his gang down permanently."

"He let you go with him?"

"I didn't give him a choice. I was always worried the next time he went out was going to be his last, and by that point I was getting comfortable with the full scope of my power. So I went with him. It was the first bandit encampment we wiped out together and I've since put several others under my belt." She gave him a dark smile. "It's quite satisfying to watch someone's face fill with fear and horror when they've emptied a clip into you and you just keep coming."

He winced and rubbed his chest where he had been shot.

"That's gotta hurt."

"Oh, immensely," she agreed, nodding. "I can't do the 'here is death approaching' thing often—it sucks. But sometimes that look they get makes all the pain worth it."

"Again. Twisted."

She laughed.

"I think we already established that. But would you have me any other way?"

He smiled and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Not for an instant."

She leaned up and kissed him, indulging in his taste, and one of her hands slipped down his arm to steal the plush skag back. He chuckled around her lips and held it up out of her reach.

"Hey…" she protested. "Give him back!"

He gave her an impish smile.

"I dunno, babe… Maybe I should bring him home with us…"

She puckered her lips up into a pout and took a breath to argue, but both their Echoes simultaneously gave an incoming chime.

"Sir! Nadie! Hope I'm not interrupting, but dinner's ready!" Alexander announced cheerily. Nadie hopped up and snatched the plush out of Handsome Jack's hand.

"We'll be there in a moment," Nadie replied, setting the skag gently back down on her bed and giving Hyperion's president a warning look. He smirked and held his hands up, palms facing her in a gesture of surrender.

"Better get it while it's hot!" the chef recommended and then closed the connection.

"Good, I was getting hungry," Nadie grumbled. "I've been using my powers all day."

"We'd better go get you fed, then. You get particularly grumpy when you're hungry," he observed with a laugh.

"I believe the proper term is 'hangry.'"

"I believe the proper term is 'woman.'"

"Hey…"

"No, seriously, every woman I've ever known gets grumpy when they get hungry. I learned a long time ago not to get between a woman and her appetite."

"I really hope you don't avoid my appetite," she purred, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. He grinned.

"I said I won't get in the way of it, not that I'd avoid it. You let me know any time I'm on the menu, sweet cheeks," he told her with a laugh.

/

/

"Ok, this is amazing," Handsome Jack stated, tasting the varying dishes spread out across the table before them.

"Wow," Nadie sighed happily. "This is like all the best parts of home cooking and Alexander's magic. This is definitely the highlight of my day." She took a bite of one of the biscuits that was still steaming.

"Considering the day we've had, that's not the greatest compliment I've ever gotten…" Alexander replied dryly.

"Your boy is quite handy in the kitchen," Ms. Evans informed them, nodding at the gun designer. "Well-versed, knows how to stay out from under foot, and very clever. He made some suggestions I wouldn't have thought of." The stocky brown haired woman crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the Siren flatly. "He's a much better helping hand than you are."

Nadie smiled brightly.

"Why do you think I sent him in my stead?"

Ms. Evans clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"You are your father's daughter—never going to be a homemaker. And these…" She caught Nadie's left hand and frowned at the markings. "You are trouble walking, little girl."

Nadie pulled her arm away and rubbed her shoulder self-consciously.

"I'm sorta surprised no one's tried to run me out of town yet."

Ms. Evans snorted.

"I don't think there's a person here who hasn't known you your whole life, little miss. You've always been an odd child. This just explains things."

The older woman glanced over the table and "hmed" before adding a few extra items to Handsome Jack's plate.

"And you, sir. What brings you to our little town out in the middle of nowhere?"

He swallowed his mouthful and then made a quick gesture of negation when she moved to continue piling on additional selections.

"No, no. That's quite enough, thanks. Mostly, we're here for guns. There's a bandit gang that won't stay dead and they've taken personal exception to my attempts to make this planet safe."

Ms. Evans sighed.

"Some people just don't know what's good for them. I've known a few like that." She glanced pointedly at Nadie who looked affronted at the insinuation. Before the Siren could protest in her own defense, her Echo gave off a cheery tune. She frowned and tapped it to accept the incoming message.

"Mm? Oh, hi Pops! Yeah, I'm in town. Yes, I— Well— You know— But I— Pops!" she snapped. A low groan escaped her as she leaned back in her seat.

"I hate it when he gets worked up," she muttered. "He won't let me get a word in. I'll be back in a bit." She stood, grumbling a little. Ms. Evans disappeared into the back and reappeared with two small take-out boxes.

"Here, fill one up for Mr. Dobos. Knowing him, he's probably not eaten all day."

"Thanks," Nadie said, her tone grateful. "I'm still hungry and if he has to eat, it'll slow down how fast he talks. No, no," she continued hurriedly, touching Handsome Jack's shoulder when he rose to join her. "Trust me, you do not want to come to this. I don't know what he's excited about, but I can guarantee you that you'll be bored to tears."

"This is your scientist who's been looking for the Heart, isn't he? He's got to have something to tell us that will be of use."

"He probably does," she agreed, "but you have to make it through two hours of techno babble to get to two minutes' worth of information."

"How bad can it be?"

The Siren gave him a crooked smile and put a hand to her hip.

"Ok, if you want to learn all about the current hypothesis running amongst the scientifically-inclined regarding the potential cross-dimensional efficacy of the Eridian language, then—"

"Nah, nah, nah," Handsome Jack interrupted, waving his hands. "Never mind, I'd rather explore your poor—ah, quaint little town. You can give me the Bluff's notes."

"What are Bluff's notes?"

"It's like a quick explanation of all the standard school texts and required readings for college kids who don't want to actually read the book. You don't know about them?"

Nadie's eyes went wide.

"Wha—what? Seriously? _All_ of the standard texts?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I am going to murder Darrell. He never told me about them. Ever. He made me read all of those boring, dry texts. I…" She fell silent, clearly struggling for a moment. Then, her lips thinned.

"I'll be back. Enjoy the rest of your dinner."

She turned and stalked out of the tavern. Ms. Evans chuckled.

"That man loves flirting with the hurricane."

"She is something," Handsome Jack agreed, smiling slightly, still watching where the Siren had gone.

"She's a good girl, you know," Ms. Evans went on conversationally, but when he glanced back at the older woman, her attention was fixed firmly on him. "She's a strange one, but she's been good to this town and she's very important to us."

Hyperion's president crooked an eyebrow.

"You are the weirdest little town I've seen on Pandora," he observed. "You really do that close-knit, old-timey community, don't you?"

"We have a kind mayor and a protective sheriff," the matronly woman replied. "And we're a long distance from your shielding hand, Hero of Pandora. The only people we can rely on out here are each other. So we like to make sure that our people, especially of the younger persuasion, are well-taken care of. Please, enjoy your dinner. Alexander? It's been a pleasure!"

"The feeling is mutual, Connie! I'll have to remember to pick up some of those spices the next time I find them."

She smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen while Alexander plopped down in a seat across from Handsome Jack. The gun designer filled up his plate and started enjoying his handiwork.

"You're not upset about Connie's concerns, are you?" Alexander asked after a moment when Handsome Jack didn't return to eating immediately.

"No, not upset," Hyperion's president replied. "Just perplexed. I grew up in the sticks with just my grandmother. There was no community like this, no busybodies sticking their noses in your business. It's just odd to see how interconnected these people are."

"Well, they have been out here alone against the world for years with only each other to rely on. A weak link could destroy anything, and yet, against beasts and bandits and weather, they have stood strong. That breeds a hardy, loyal people who are very cautious about bringing in outsiders."

"You seemed to fit right in," Handsome Jack observed dryly. Alexander shrugged with a bright smile.

"I know my way around small communities like this. It has its pros and cons—on one hand, you have a few dozen people always curious to know your business, but on the other hand, once you're in, you're in. Those people will be at your side through hell and back."

"Hm." Hyperion's president leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. Alexander studied him over his food.

"If you're done," he finally began, "I hear that you can get an amazing view of the Eridian ruins from the edge of the canyon. I know the town itself isn't particularly awe-inspiring, but the view might be worth looking at."

"I dunno… You've seen one set of ruins, you've seen them all. But you might be right." Handsome Jack stood slowly and pointed at the food. "You make sure you save the leftovers. I'm assuming this little ancient town has something resembling a fridge. They can't be _that_ far in the Stone Age."

Alexander chuckled.

"I'm sure they have something. Don't worry, I'll write, 'Don't touch! Property of Handsome Jack!' in bold letters on the box."

"If they aren't there, I shall be very upset," the president warned. Alexander grinned happily.

"As well you should be!"

Hyperion's president left Alexander in the tavern and took to the dusty streets. The town was the stark opposite of Opportunity—the roads were dirt instead of paved, most buildings looked like they had weathered a nuclear war, and people walked the street in a slow paced ramble. Yet for all the antiquity of the town, everyone he passed greeted him excitedly with bright, curious smiles, but still kept enough distance that he was never surrounded or dealing with more than three individuals at a given time. It was both less attention than he was used to and preferred, but it also brought a strange sort of intimacy with it.

It also dragged out the length of time he would normally spend with his adoring fans so much that by the time he got to the canyon edge, he was, quite frankly, exhausted with dealing with the townsfolk. Hyperion's president crossed his arms over his chest and looked out at the Eridian ruins contemplatively.

Against what Alexander had said, the view wasn't terribly fantastic. He could certainly see the sweeping arcs of the black and purple stone rising up into the sky, and toward the center of the canyon was a high-walled stadium that looked like it could have been an amphitheater or coliseum of some kind. Segments of the ruins disappeared into the canyon walls and he wondered how much of these ruins still stood, hidden from the destruction of the weather and time.

"This will have to be a project for later," he finally sighed to himself. He turned back toward Erikeep and looked over the little mining town. It was the perfect example of what Pandora could offer—wretched, backwards people stuck in their ways, but with a few true gems hidden within. This stubborn, bafflingly loyal, nosey little town was where Nadie had come from, and its upbringing reflected itself in her personality and behavior. She was every bit a product of this place.

He reached into his jacket and took out the Siren collar he had tucked away before leaving Opportunity. It was deceptively simple-looking—a thick metal torque that locked around the throat, small patterns of circuitry barely visible across its surface. He knew from experience that it worked perfectly—even under the strain of the most powerful Siren in the six galaxies, Lilith, it had held strong. He had no doubt it would work just as well on Nadie, which is why he had brought it. The collar glittered in the light as he turned it in his hands.

"I can't believe I'm considering this," he grumbled at the collar, frowning irritably, rubbing a thumb across the surface of the restraint. Unsurprisingly, the collar didn't respond. He nervously turned it in his hands again, tapping it against his palm, in an internal war with himself. Minutes stretched by while he contemplated a choice he would never have thought he'd mull over.

"This is stupid. I know it is. Why am I even bothering to spend time on this? I know I'm going to need it."

He stared silently down at the collar and then grunted once.

"Fuck."

Without giving himself a chance to second guess his decision, he took a firm grip on either side of the collar and twisted, wincing as the metal groaned and then snapped in half. He held the two pieces apart, an unsure pit in his stomach as he voluntarily chose to abandon his plan B.

Still not sure he had made the right decision, he tossed the pieces over into the canyon below, watching them fall out of sight. A frustrated breath escaped him at his own actions and behavior.

"Here you are," Nadie's voice greeted. Handsome Jack turned to watch her approach. Before she could say anything else, he pointed a commanding finger at her.

"Don't make me regret it."

"What?"

"Nothing, babe. What did you learn?"

"How many Sirens have you ever known?" she demanded, and he realized the quick pace that had brought her to him was not fueled by pleasure at his presence as anger clouded over her features as she spoke. He immediately stiffened, going on guard; his fingers twitched as that unsure pit in his stomach surged into full alarm.

"A few," he answered cautiously, shifting his stance so that he could bring his arms up swiftly if need be. "Why?"

"Because some bitch of a Siren has my Heart!" she snapped, stomping a foot on the ground in fury. She turned and started pacing back and forth in front of him in agitation. He stared at her flatly as her words sank in, and then he glanced back down the canyon.

"Fantastic. I regret it for an _entirely_ different reason."

"I've spent my entire life looking for that thing and some trollop just flounces in, finds it be sheer luck and coincidence, and steals it out from under my nose!" Nadie went on in rage, clearly not hearing him. She spun back to him, shaking a pointed finger. "I have someone I need to put a bullet in. Possibly more than one. The nerve of some women…" She went back to stalking.

"No honor among Sirens, huh?" he questioned, still on edge and prepared for a fight, but beginning to suspect Nadie was not the threat he was worried she was about to become. She waved a dismissive hand.

"Just because there are only a few of us doesn't mean we have to agree with one another. Especially when _one has the audacity to steal my artifact!_ " Her voice echoed through the canyon.

"All right, all right," he soothed, carefully approaching her. She was shaking in anger, but didn't lash out or flinch when he touched her. "Don't worry, sweet cheeks, we'll get your Heart. Right after we get back my Key. Because, you know, I _am_ the hero of this story. I mean, that's what everyone is waiting for."

She froze and then looked up at him with a sidelong smirk.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot… This is the Hero of Pandora's story. No one cares about his plucky sidekick's goals."

"Sweetheart, don't sell yourself short. You at least rank as high as love interest," he assured her, slipping an arm about her and tugging her close. "Now Alexander on the other hand…"

"Isn't he more like the mascot?" she retorted, struggling not to smile and failing.

"No, no, no," he replied. "He was the mascot of your lab. I think he has safely secured his place on the team as comic relief. Now, your dad on the other hand…"

The Siren rolled her eyes.

"Hey now, my dad is not a mascot."

"Are you sure, babe? He's big, he's silent, he immediately has everyone's attention… He's like a bullymong in a coat!"

"My dad is not a bullymong."

"Pandoran Bullymongs… If we ever make a sports team, I'm naming it that in honor of your father."

She rubbed her face and turned to start walking back toward town.

"If he can't be our mascot, we could always bring Sir Bites-A-Lot," he offered teasingly. Nadie just groaned, shaking her head as she continued on.

"What? I think it works out! Babe? Where are you going?"

"Back to the lab to finish outfitting us with enough weapons to take on the entire world," she answered over her shoulder. "One of us should be working, at least."

"Yeah, that Sir Bites-A-Lot sure isn't pulling his weight… When was the last time he went after any bandits? We could use a face-biting skag right about now."

The Siren just sighed in weary acceptance.

"You are so lucky I love you."

"Luck's got nothing to do with that, babe, but we're going to need a whole lot of it for this coming battle."


	19. Chapter 18

Sanctuary at one point had been a marvel of engineering and persistence—the ship turned city had once floated through the sky, a bastion for the resistance and a symbol of their rebellion against Handsome Jack and his ideals. When he finally secured the Vault Key, he almost immediately turned the bioweapon's attention to the one location that had constantly eluded him, and the Warrior's destruction had been thorough. Without the Vault Hunters who had called it home's protection, the city had fallen, both proverbially as well as literally under the Warrior's aggression. Considering the matter closed, Handsome Jack had turned his focus to cleaning up the rest of the bandits' influence across the planet, sparing barely a thought for the fallen city.

"What the hell?" Hyperion's president muttered grumpily. "Who the hell comes back to a city that's been destroyed? This was a terrible idea on their part. It's not like I don't know exactly where this place is."

"That may be," Nadie agreed, "but you never came back to make sure it was completely empty, did you?"

Handsome Jack gave the Siren a look.

"Babe. Not helping."

"To be fair," Alexander pointed out behind them, "generally people don't come back to a safe house that's been compromised."

"I understand, but really, if the place has already been raided once, how likely is it that anyone will ever come back to it? It's sort of that whole 'hiding right under your nose' kind of thing."

"Doesn't matter," Lawson cut in before the discussion could progress any further. "They're here, we're here. That's all we need to know."

Handsome Jack glanced back at him and then looked at Nadie.

"I thought you said he didn't leave his town for any reason."

"Yeah, this is a new one on me," she responded.

"The end of civilized life as we know it is a problem," the sheriff retorted. "Besides, my little girl was in over her head."

"Daaaad," Nadie protested, her tone wounded. "I was fine!"

"Mm-hm," he replied, his disbelief apparent.

"Oh, let's get going," she puffed.

While the Siren had been hard at work updating and outfitting the group for the upcoming battle, the trio of men had spent an hour butting heads over the best tactic for approaching the city. It was finally agreed that going in via stealth was probably the best option on the grounds that they had no idea how many people they'd be facing or where the Warrior was at that exact moment.

The foursome began the slow approach toward Sanctuary, cautious to not alert anyone to their presence. Sneaking into the broken city turned out to be simple—almost worryingly so. There were no more than five guards dressed in the Crimson Raiders' uniform on patrol and it was almost laughably easy to slip passed their vigil. The city center was full of dust and rubble with pathways cleared between the debris and refuse, depicting the most common routes taken by those that lived here. Chunks of masonry were strewn about what had passed for roads at one time, and deep gouges from the Warrior's claws marred ground and wall alike. For all the subtle indications of the fact people still lived in this place, there was a sort of haunting emptiness that echoed throughout the walls.

"Ok, this is a bit weird," Alexander observed softly. "Don't get me wrong, I know they're out hunting us, but normally you'd leave more people than this at your base of operations. This really screams they're understaffed."

"That's an odd thing to say given the amount of these assholes that were at Overlook," Handsome Jack replied dryly.

"Maybe they're just really sure no one is going to assault them at their home base?" Nadie questioned, but her tone indicated she didn't really believe that was the case.

They followed the common pathway, keeping their ears open for anyone approaching, but the city stood almost silent as a ghost town.

"This is sort of anticlimactic," Hyperion's president stated with a frown. "I wasn't enamored with the idea of a gun fight with an army, but this is just… disappointing, really. If I had known these idiots were this ill-prepared, we could have rolled in and taken the city by now."

"This makes me nervous," Lawson agreed, intently studying the state of the city. "Smart enough to steal an artifact under lock and key in Opportunity, capable of setting an ambush to take us by surprise, and yet their central location is left almost completely unguarded. We're missing something here."

The Siren took a breath to respond, but a strangely metallic voice wafted toward them on a slight breeze, interrupting anything she might have said.

"Sad and lonely, sad and lonely, lonely and sad…"

She turned toward the direction of the sound.

"What was that?"

Handsome Jack's face collapsed into an expression that managed to mix hatred and disgust with a dollop of disbelief.

"No… No, no, no. Sorry, babe, we're taking a side trip," he snarled and started off in the direction of the voice. Nadie glanced back at Lawson in confusion and then quickly hastened after him. The lilting, electronic voice kept up at its gloomy little song until Handsome Jack came around a building corner, demanding, "How many times do I have to kill you, you annoying little shit?"

A horrified squeal of, "Handsome Jack! Aaaaaaah!" emerged from where he had dashed off to and Nadie came around just in time to see a small yellow box on one wheel with spindly little arms start streaking around the small nook it was in, flailing wildly.

"No, no, no!" it yelped until, apparently realizing it was trapped, it drew in its arms and wheel and dropped to the ground as a small box shivering in fear.

"What is that?" the Siren asked even as Handsome Jack leveled one of his wrist-mounted laser canons at it.

"A mistake that I cannot seem to correct," he snapped. "I've killed it once before, but it just won't stay dead!"

"Woah, woah, is that a claptrap unit?" Alexander asked as he caught up. He immediately took in the situation and his eyes widened.

"Wait, wait, wait, sir! May I have it?"

Everyone froze and there was a moment of stunned silence in which Handsome Jack turned very slowly to give Alexander a piercing look.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Alexander fidgeted a little under his idol's hard gaze.

"If you're going to kill it, may I have it instead? I'll absolutely keep it away from you and out of your hair."

"You… _want_ this thing? It's a claptrap unit. You know, annoying voice, can't get anything right, the worst mistake in the history of robotics?" Handsome Jack continued to bore holes in Alexander, but his expression was almost more flabbergasted than angry. Behind him, the claptrap unit stopped shaking and half unfurled.

"I would like to point out that I'm still alive," it piped up. "I call that a resounding success!"

"Rrrrrgggghh!" Handsome Jack growled, spinning back on the robot who yelped and collapsed back into a shivering box. "That's your worst mistake yet!"

"Wait, don't kill him!" Alexander hurriedly interrupted. "They're impossible to find now!"

"I know. It's that way for a reason," Hyperion's president assured him through gritted teeth, still aiming at the defenseless claptrap unit.

"But I wanted one for Gerty!"

Nadie crooked a brow at the gun designer.

"You wanted one for Gerty?"

"Yeah. It was going to be an anniversary present. Except by the time I thought about getting her one, their product line had been cancelled. Oh." He blinked at Handsome Jack as realization set in. "You were the one who made that call, huh?"

"Yes, and you ought to be thanking me. I probably saved your marriage."

"No, no," Alexander protested. "Gerty had one most of her life. She always talked about how much she liked it."

Hyperion's president sighed, his aim still sure, but his tone was that of the thwarted man.

"Nadie, talk some sense into him," Handsome Jack ordered. "I respect his cooking just enough to not kill this thing immediately, but no one with his skills should suffer the presence of a claptrap."

"Oh, I hadn't even thought about withholding cooking events," Alexander realized aloud. Handsome Jack gave him a sharp look and then turned his gaze back on the Siren.

"Nadie, seriously! We're going to lose his cooking. Over a claptrap!"

She smiled impishly.

"No, I don't think I am going to talk him out of it."

"What?!" Hyperion's president dropped his arm and faced the Siren in horror. "You're going to let Alexander try and convince me not to kill this annoying, pain in the ass, useless robot? Babe, I thought you were on my side!"

Behind him, the claptrap stopped shaking and popped back up on its wheel, its single eye focused on her. She wasn't sure how a robot could do it, but she got the distinct feeling it was giving her hopeful puppy dog eyes.

"Alexander is the most annoying person I know," Nadie explained, ignoring the "hey!" of protest from the sniper. "If this little bot is as bad as you say, I want to watch them try and out annoy each other. I think it'd be hilarious!"

"Sweetheart… You really _are_ twisted," he informed her with a sigh of frustration. She grinned.

"You're the one who wanted to sleep with a Pandoran girl."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think that would include suffering through a claptrap's presence. That's a level of twisted that even most bandits won't sink to."

"Actually," the claptrap began, "I did spend an awful lot of time with Mr. Flynn and his men and they're—"

"Stop. Talking. Now," Handsome Jack snapped. "Go hide behind him." He pointed at Alexander. "Because if I see you, I'm going to shoot you, and it's a credit to Squeaky's persuasiveness that I'm even _considering_ this."

"Can do!" the claptrap replied excitedly and rolled over to a stop behind Alexander's leg.

"Awesome!" the gun designed exclaimed. "You just made my wife a happy person."

"Don't thank me yet," Hyperion's president warned testily. "I'm not guaranteeing he's going to make it through this alive."

"All right, children, have we finished with appropriating this thing? We need to get moving," Lawson rumbled.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a single gunshot from further within the city. Everyone stiffened for a moment and the sound didn't repeat.

"Tanis!" the claptrap squeaked and dashed off down the road.

"Patricia Tanis?" Nadie clarified, quickly following after the bot, Handsome Jack and Alexander close in tow, with Lawson bringing up the rear.

"How do you know that name, babe?"

"I was educated by a Dahl scientist, remember?" she answered over her shoulder, making sure to keep the claptrap in sight as he darted down roads and into one of the nearby buildings. "They're a close-knit lot and those who dabble in Eridian studies are few and far between. Pops and she didn't have the same area of expertise, but I know they exchanged some amount of communication about their discoveries until a few years ago. Pops fell out of contact with just about everyone because he found another clue dealing with the Heart and became consumed by the search."

The claptrap unit bounced its way down a flight of steps, each drop accompanied by an "ow!" until it hit the ground floor and shot off down the hall with a cry of, "Don't worry, Tanis! I'm coming!"

"I think that's more worrisome than the gunshot," Handsome Jack snorted. "She's probably safer with the shooter."

They followed the robot into a side room that had been retrofitted into a makeshift lab. It was neat and tidy—clearly there hadn't been much of a scuffle. The one thing obviously out of place was a pale skinned woman with short cut dark hair half collapsed across a table, gasping as she tried to breathe around a single shot straight to the chest, an Echo recorder clenched in one hand. The machine was lightly covered in blood splatter like she had coughed on it, possibly dictating to her nearly final breath.

"Sweet," Handsome Jack began. "That's one less bullet we have to use."

"Tanis!" the claptrap squealed unhappily, streaking over to her side. Nadie looked at Handsome Jack with a quirked eyebrow. He caught her gaze and stared back.

"What?"

"We're going to let her die?"

"Do you have any idea how much of a pain this woman has been?"

"Ok, if that's what you want, that's what we'll do." The Siren folded her hands behind her back and watched the scientist fight against her inevitable death. The woman's twitching was becoming more and more feeble by the second. A sour expression settled across Handsome Jack's face as he glared at Nadie.

"Let me guess… You want to save her. First the claptrap, now her? You're going soft on me, sweet cheeks."

"It's not that," she retorted. "I'm a big proponent of enlightened self-interest. This woman is one of the foremost experts in Eridian culture and tech, she probably knows more about the Vault Key than all your technicians combined, and she's the only one here who can tell us what happened. It's in our best interest to keep her alive. But if you want to let her die, I will absolutely stand by that decision."

Hyperion's president frowned deeply at his lover who just continued to study the fallen woman dispassionately. Then, he groaned and crossed his arms over his chest angrily.

"Damnit."

The moment the curse was leaving his lips, Nadie darted to the scientist's side, her wings appearing off her back as her power sealed the wound shut and forced Tanis' lungs to clear of blood and her heart to beat strong once more. The formerly dying woman gasped in a deep breath and coughed once before grabbing the Siren's arm.

"Your power…" she wheezed. "What do you designate it?"

"What?" Nadie questioned, blinking. "Uh… Phasemend. You should take a breath or two. It usually takes people a moment…"

She fell silent as already the scientist was raising the Echo recorder to her lips.

"To my great surprise, it seems this is not to be my last entry, though I imagine my demise is imminent given who seems to have come to my rescue. However, more curious is the arrival of another Siren, this one with an ability referred to as 'phasemend.' She seems to possess the capacity to regenerate damaged tissue at a phenomenal rate… in essence, to heal the body at a speed that is preternatural. This lends further credence to my theory that the Sirens are balanced out evenly between combat and utility powers, though without having equal access to all six to study, my hypothesis may remain just that." She clicked the Echo recorder off and studied the foursome.

"I presume that you are not going to end my life at this point given you just saved it?" Tanis asked primly. Nadie glanced back at Handsome Jack who just shook his head.

"You wanted to save her," he stated, effectively washing his hands of their current predicament. Nadie snorted and turned back on the scientist.

"Not at this point, no."

"You guys actually saved Tanis' life!" the claptrap exclaimed in surprise. "I was just going to follow you around until I could reasonably escape, but since you've saved my friend, I will gladly aid you in your quest! As long as it doesn't involve killing me or my friends," the robot added.

"Hooray," Handsome Jack replied with a heap of sarcasm in his voice.

"Plus I can't get up the stairs out of here, so I'm going to need help leaving," the claptrap added, tapping what passed for its hands together. Nadie chuckled in amusement.

"You can't go up stairs?"

"A handsome gentleman who shall remain nameless deleted that ability from my programming," the robot replied, fixing its eye on Hyperion's president. Nadie looked back at Handsome Jack. He sniffed disdainfully.

"I really, really hate claptraps. Frankly, this one isn't even supposed to be alive still. Probably one of my biggest failures ever."

"Now," Tanis interrupted, "I'm afraid as pressing an issue as your presence is, I am more concerned with the events transpiring here. A matter has arisen that requires immediate action and I have no doubt you'll be interested to involve yourself."

"Oh really?" Handsome Jack replied, putting his hands to his hips in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure the only involvement I want to have with you and your bandit friends is in leaving your carcasses to the skags. Hell, I'd have let you die here, but luckily for you, my girlfriend can be frustrating logical sometimes."

"I assure you, this is as much an issue for you as it is for us. We've been betrayed."

The masked man snorted.

"No honor among thieves and all that, huh?"

"Hardly," the scientist retorted. "Moxxi betrayed us."

Nadie watched Handsome Jack's whole demeanor change—the haughtiness vanished to be replaced by a tightness in his frame she only saw when he was well and truly angry.

"Well, well, well. You mean to say the woman who stabbed me in the back, betrayed me, and had her hands in at least two attempts on my life went and yanked the rug out from under you assholes? Oh, if that isn't fucking karma…"

"I'm afraid the situation is more dire than that," Tanis assured him. "She's also convinced Asha, a Siren with the ability to command animals, and Zer0, who holds the Vault Key, to join with her. Moxxi was trying to convince me to aid her and when I said no, she… expressed her displeasure violently." The scientist tapped her chest once. "I imagine the pragmatism in the shot was to keep me from giving away what I knew."

Abruptly, the sound of rapid gunfire echoed down the halls, faint from distance. Tanis immediately turned her attention to it.

"Brick! He went after Moxxi when he found me here."

"He left you like that?!" the claptrap yelped. Tanis spared it a glance.

"He did not have much of an option. Besides, hunting her down was of more importance. The rest of you may stay or go, but I'm going to hazard the squalor of these halls and see if I may be of assistance." She pushed passed them and hurried deeper into the building, following where the gunfire had come from. Nadie looked at Handsome Jack quizzically.

"What do we do?" Alexander asked behind them.

"Hell," Hyperion's president sighed. "Let's go."

They followed the scientist as she worked her way through the building, searching for her companion, until they finally came upon Brick in an intersection of hallways. The big man had his back propped up against a wall, a hand over his stomach, blood pouring from dozens of bullet wounds. He could barely hold his head up, but he still managed to watch their approach.

"Tanis," he grunted. "Didn't think you'd ever be walking again."

"Nor did I," she agreed.

"How many of you people did I miss killing?" Handsome Jack grumbled. "Though from the look of you, it won't be long before that problem corrects itself."

Brick peered up at Hyperion's president, a sneer turning the corner of his lip.

"There's a face I didn't want to see right now… C'mere. I want to punch it. I'm pretty sure I can still manage that."

"Yeah…" Handsome Jack drawled, "I'm going to take a pass on that."

"We're going to need him," Tanis informed them. "Moxxi has most of the Crimson Raiders now, and unless you have an army hidden somewhere, we'll need this pile of muscle."

"You know, if someone hadn't been mucking with my space station, we would _have_ an army right now," he retorted, "and all this could be behind us. Well, it'd be behind me and Nadie. You people would be six feet under. But I'm not bitter."

"Please," the scientist entreated. Nadie glanced back at Handsome Jack who met her gaze for a moment and then sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Nothing has gone my way today."

Taking the complaint as permission, Nadie kneeled beside the big man who eyed her warily. She brushed a hand across his arm, the Siren markings glowing their soft amethyst color.

"Henh," Brick grunted, watching her. "Green haired Siren. How'd he find you?"

"Surprise date," she answered, giving him a thin smile before turning back to Tanis. "He's a mess… I can heal the wounds, but I can't do anything for the damage to his body. He'll live, but he's never going to be in fighting condition again. The scarring and mutilation of his musculature is just beyond my power to fix."

Behind them, Handsome Jack sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

"I can't believe I'm saying this… Woman, do you have any Eridium here?"

Tanis looked up at him for a moment thoughtfully and then glanced at Nadie.

"I see. One moment." She stood and walked swiftly down the hall, returning a few seconds later with a couple chunks of the luminescent purple stone. Nadie watched as Handsome Jack took them from her, looked them over, and set one aside. He studied the Siren, turning the stone in his hand.

"Let me make this very clear, babe. We're not doing this again. I've seen what this stuff does to your kind. I'm not going to let it happen to you." He frowned and then handed her the stone. Brows crooked together, she took it, blinking at him unsurely.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

"Absorb it," he replied simply. She peered at him.

"What?"

"It's something you Sirens can do… you can drain the raw power of unprocessed Eridium and use it to enhance your abilities."

"Lilith explained that the act was akin to feeling out with your senses like you know someone is nearby, and then when you find what it is you're looking for, you… well, her words were, 'suck it in like a smoothie,'" Tanis added. "I'm afraid she was never able to explain it more clearly than that."

Nadie stared down at the stone for a moment and then sighed, attempting to concentrate on the Eridium. There was nothing slow or gradual about the sudden feeling that crawled up her spine; one moment she was holding the rock, the second she could almost taste electricity on her tongue and her skin shone with a purple overlay, her Siren markings blazing brightly. On instinct, she crushed the stone between her fingers and it crumbled like dust, dissipating into her skin. A gasp that was some strange mix of pleasure and pain rattled through her chest.

"Holy crap!" she breathed, struggling to contain the power burning just under her skin. The need to stretch her gift out, to use her abilities, rang through her bones, nearly making her shake in excitement.

"Nadie!" Lawson's voice struck through her, shattering the seductive call of the burst of power flowing through her.

"Focus!" Handsome Jack ordered. "Heal him!"

Their words grounding her senses, she turned to the wounded man and almost laughed at what they asked of her. It would be so simple… a small burst of power here to repair the nervous system, a gentle push to knit the muscles there, even a bare brush to clean out the veins clogging from a lifetime of poor eating… Putting the big man back together was as easy as reassembling Betsy after she has cleaned the minigun, an act so familiar to her that she could do it in her sleep. The halls were illuminated with amethyst light and but a few heartbeats passed before Brick hauled up to his feet with a triumphant yell as scarring faded, muscles stretched back into shape, and adrenaline surged through him once more.

"Woo, little girl, you are something!" he hollered happily, picking the Siren up in a huge hug and swirling her around before dropping her to her feet. Nadie swallowed a gulp of air and reached for the wall to steady herself, shaking in euphoria.

"What the hell…" she barely whispered. Handsome Jack was at her side in a moment, pulling her back up to her feet.

"You ok, babe?"

"Holy shit," she swore, looking up at him. "I could feel it all… Every nook and cranny of his body. This is amazing! I could—"

"No," he interrupted sharply. "You're not doing it again."

"But—"

"No. Trust me, sweet cheeks. You do not want to go down that road, and I'm not about to let it happen again."

She looked up at him, struggling to get enough control of herself so that she could respond, but Brick cut in before anyone else could say anything.

"We need to get out there. Maya and Tina are going to need help. They don't know about Moxxi yet. They have no idea what's coming." The moment the name left his lips, he growled.

"Where are they?" Lawson rumbled.

"The Badass Crater of Badassitude."

"Oh. Great. The Vault I didn't have control over and never got any of the goodies out of," Handsome Jack grumbled. "Can this day possibly get any better?"

"If Maya and Tina are in trouble, I'm going too!" the claptrap pronounced firmly. Handsome Jack tilted his head back, eyes closed.

"And it just did…"


	20. Chapter 19

(Author's Note: Sorry for the no post last week... My week had been super busy and I didn't get a chance to write.)

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"So why don't you just call your bandit friends and tell them to get their dumb asses back to the hideout, such as it is?" Handsome Jack questioned from the front seat of the Crimson Raider truck they had acquired for the trip. He had taken the spot beside Lawson, who had settled into the driver's seat without yea or nay from anyone else. Nadie had dropped into the back along with Alexander, the big former Vault Hunter, and the claptrap.

"We've tried," Brick retorted, "but there's some kind of interference that's been making it impossible to get through to them. Seeing as we haven't seen Azrae around Sanctuary, I'm guessing she's behind it."

"Who's Azrae?" Nadie asked. Brick huffed in irritation.

"She's our—was our—engineer. She's the one who designed the system that brought the EchoNet down in Opportunity and let Zer0 get the Vault Key."

"Oh yeah, have I thanked you for that yet?" Handsome Jack growled, shooting the big man a dark glare. The Siren quickly leaned forward and placed a hand to his shoulder.

"I think that can wait," she assured him. "We have a bigger problem to deal with right now."

"Yeah, like the Warrior being in the possession of my crazy, murderous ex-girlfriend," Hyperion's president sighed angrily. Nadie started, blinking, and then gave him a half smile.

"Ex-girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Don't like admitting it."

"So, should I try not to kill her?"

"That woman's tried to murder me at least twice," he grumbled. "We can tango over her grave for all I care."

Brick rumbled from his place in the back, years of Moxxi's assistance to their cause momentarily overwhelming the pain of her betrayal and prompting the former Vault Hunter to defend her. Handsome Jack's eyes narrowed at the sound and he turned on the big man. Nadie realized the conversation was about to get very heated in a moment if she didn't cut in and change the topic.

"So, do you actually have a name?" the Siren asked the small yellow robot who had, up to this point, been surprisingly quiet. Handsome Jack groaned.

"Babe… Don't encourage him to talk."

"What? I was just curious."

"About a claptrap?"

"Thank you for asking!" the claptrap interrupted, saluting her. "As you are already aware, I am a CL4PTP unit, but as much as that's my line's designation, it is also my name! Course, people around here often call me many different things… Like 'sir,' or 'master,' or 'you roguish robot, you—'"

"Or annoying," Brick cut in.

"Or a mistake," Handsome Jack added, crossing his arm and refusing to look back at the bot. The claptrap put a hand to its top much like a person expressing embarrassment.

"Or any of those things… I've gone by many names." The robot perked back up. "But since I'm now the only claptrap unit still active, there's no confusion when someone calls me by name. So, ah, you can call me Claptrap and not any of those, um, less accurate names."

"Heh, you're a claptrap whose name is Claptrap?" Nadie asked in amusement. The small yellow robot shrugged.

"It makes it easy to remember, right?"

"I'm pretty sure no one's going to forget your name," she replied with a laugh.

"No matter how much we try," Handsome Jack grumbled from the front seat.

The huge building that made up the coliseum swelled up on the horizon, a dark construct that was only inviting to a person with a certain type of interest. The coliseum was dark colored and sharp edged, a structure that screamed it was ready for a fight and it only wanted individuals looking for the school of hard knocks to dare approach it.

"What the heck is this place?" the Siren asked.

"Hideous," Alexander answered. "Look at the décor! And that color! It's so depressing!"

"The… poster boy for Torgue found a Vault out here that required the death of a coward to open," Handsome Jack answered her over his shoulder. "His response was to open an arena."

"An arena?" She leaned forward, grinning. "How'd that go?"

Hyperion's president frowned.

"As I said, I didn't get any of the goodies out of it. My hands had been full dealing with a bandit lord who had united several gangs and decided to assault one of my settlements in the Eridium Blight. I would very much have liked to have gotten involved. As a general rule, I don't approve of gladiatorial arenas."

Before Nadie could ask after his reasoning, a burst of gunfire echoed in front of them through the hot air. The truck roared up and over a dune to reveal a small outpost akin to a waystation that had been turned into an impromptu battleground. A blue haired woman leaned around a small shack, firing on a platoon of individuals dressed in Crimson Raider uniforms that dodged and shot back around sand dunes. A familiar-looking young girl sang impolite things at the firing men while tossing jury-rigged explosives at them, sending them scattering away from the detonation point. When they got their feet back underneath them long enough to fire at her once more, she'd drop down behind the thick metal sheet that served as the railing for the second floor of the waystation. A huge, flaming bull skag roared from within a cage nearby, slamming himself into the cage door, but seeing as he seemed to be securely contained, the combatants didn't give him much thought.

"You people can't stay out of trouble for longer than five minutes, can you?" Handsome Jack demanded of the Vault Hunter in the back.

"Tag out!" Nadie announced and jumped over the side of the truck, rolling with the fall and drawing out a semiautomatic.

"Damnit," Lawson growled beneath his breath, not turning to watch his daughter's leap. "The rest of you, hold on." The engine roared into full life and the truck's wheels kicked up dirt as it sped up.

"We're going bowling!" Alexander squealed excitedly. Brick chuckled as he braced himself.

"This is my kind of ride!"

"Oh hell," Handsome Jack sighed irritably as he prepared himself for the inevitable collisions.

A yell of warning came from one of the Crimson Raiders as he spotted the inbound truck and scrambled out of the way. His two buddies were not as quick on the draw and the impact of the speeding truck into and, consequently, through them was loud and final. Lawson slammed a foot on the break and tugged hard on the wheel, causing the truck to nearly lose traction in the sand and spin through several more of the Raiders.

The moment the truck came to a halt, the sheriff hopped out of the vehicle and drew out a heavy revolver distinctly different from the one he had been using prior. It clearly still used the Jacobs' base, but as he aimed, the gun made a soft electronic hum and spat out blue-tinged lightning when Lawson pulled the trigger. The blast lashed out at a nearby Crimson Raider and immediately overcharged his shield, causing it to pop and him to scream in agony. The crackling lightning bounced on to another fighter, uncaring about the damage it caused, and proceeded to dance about the battlefield from person to person like some twisted game of leapfrog.

"That is not standard issue!" Hyperion's president declared as he leapt out of the truck to join the battle.

The appearance of Brick drew the most response out of the Crimson Raiders—there were enough scattered around that not all of them saw him immediately, but the ones who did either swore or sputtered out some prayer. The big Vault Hunter grinned as he slammed a fist into his palm threateningly.

"A'right, slabs, looks like I need to teach you a thing or two about picking the wrong side!"

The fighters closest to him yelped as Brick lunged toward them, cackling maniacally, not showing a scrap of fear about going into close combat in a firefight.

"Hey!" Nadie yelled at him from across the way. "I just put you back together! Don't break yourself again!"

A deep belly laugh was the only response she got. She shook her head and turned her attention to closing the distance between herself and the two pinned-down women. The Siren placed her shots with some forethought and precision, the semiauto in her hands specifically modded for enhanced accuracy. Maya dodged out around the edge of the waystation and neatly lodged a handful of bullets in the upper chest of a Crimson Raider who fell like a sack of wasted vegetables to the sand. The blue haired Siren swung her weapon up and around, aiming at the gunsmith, who set cautious sights on her in return. There was a tense moment between them in which they simultaneously took in the other's Siren markings and eyed one another suspiciously, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Who the hell are you?" Maya finally demanded.

"That's the woman who was with Jack," Tina supplied as she leapt from the second floor down to the ground.

"I would prefer to be known as the person coming to help bail your butts out of the fire," Nadie retorted, "but I have a feeling my affiliation is going to be held against me."

"You bet it is," Tina assured her firmly, "you curvaceous… curvy… creature…?"

Maya's aim faltered as she shot a look at the younger woman.

"Tina, where are you going with this?"

"I dunno, I lost it," the girl replied, waving her hands at the blue haired Siren in dismissal. She scampered up to Nadie and popped up on her tiptoes, staring intently at her. As she approached, the gunsmith dropped her weapon to her side.

"Man, you're tall," Tina grumbled as she strained to get closer to the green haired Siren's face. "Get down here!"

An eyebrow crooked, Nadie leaned down to be closer to the bombardier's face. The instant they were on eye level, the young woman raised her hand to her own eyes, pointing to her pupils with her index and middle fingers, and then after a moment, she whipped her hand around so the points were directly lined up with Nadie's gaze. Tina repeated the gesture twice more.

"We'll be watching you, miss missy," she warned before dashing off toward the skag's cage with a happy yell of, "Enrique!" Nadie looked up at Maya in bemusement. The other Siren just shrugged and slowly dropped her aim.

"She's always like that." She glanced across the sand at the fighting foursome as Claptrap came rolling up to them.

"You're actually here to help?" Maya asked suspiciously, looking back at Nadie.

"Yup!" the small robot replied excitedly. "Jack didn't even shoot me! Not once!"

Nadie shrugged with one shoulder.

"The Warrior in someone else's hands is a problem we both share."

"I imagine if _he_ doesn't have it, he considers that a problem," Maya observed dryly, watching Hyperion's president across the way, her fingers twitching on her gun. Nadie studied her cautiously for a long moment, waiting to see if she was going to act. When the blue haired Siren didn't move, the gunsmith turned to regard her lover.

"Those are details we can sort out later. You know, when we're not facing an Eridian bioweapon, an army, and, oh yeah, your former buddies who murdered my best friend."

Maya looked over at her and her lips thinned.

"There's been so much unnecessary death these past few years."

"And there will be more before the end of today," Nadie promised grimly, meeting the other Siren's gaze.

Meanwhile, the boys had taken it upon themselves to make sure none of the Crimson Raiders got back to the home base to alert anyone of their arrival. Alexander "hmed" thoughtfully from behind Handsome Jack where he had stationed himself when a trio of Raiders had tried to jump the president from behind.

"I'm sort of surprised they haven't called for backup," the sniper stated idly as he shouldered his rifle and fired in one smooth motion, piercing the skull of a Crimson Raider who had been about to attack Lawson. The sheriff glanced his way and tipped his hat in acknowledgement before the heavy revolver let out another small explosion, inciting another series of screams of agony.

"Remember what the brute was saying?" Handsome Jack replied. "That there's some interference with the EchoNet out here? That blade cuts both ways—as much as it keeps visitors from calling in or out, it also keeps them from messaging each other."

"That seems counterproductive."

"Well, if you're not expecting anyone to assault your place because no one knows you're there, it shouldn't be a problem, right?" the masked man retorted dryly. "Though I'm sure there are alarm systems installed everywhere. You may want to stop him." He pointed out a Raider who had peeled off from the main group and was heading at high speed toward the waystation. "I imagine he's going to set one off."

"Kay!" Alexander acknowledged cheerily and spun the rifle's scope on the fleeing man.

"And do it quick because we have company coming… A _lot_ of company." Handsome Jack frowned grimly as he started counting Crimson Raiders that scrambled together behind the remnants of a building all but buried in sand. There was a yell of encouragement and then a dozen Raiders dove out toward them, apparently figuring on overwhelming them by sheer numbers. Handsome Jack hissed between his teeth and took aim with both cannons.

"Why don't you just overcharge one of your weapons?" Alexander questioned as he took his shot on the escaping Raider who yelped and collapsed into the dirt when the bullet collided with his spine. "That should discourage them."

"What are you talking about?" Hyperion's president demanded. Alexander blinked and turned back to his boss.

"I thought that's what the switch was for. That's how they typically look. Was I wrong?"

"What switch?"

The gun designer reached over and flicked something that was tucked neatly to the side and just below the barrel of the laser cannon, in easy reach for the wielder if you knew where to look. The weapon gave off a low thrum and a light he hadn't seen before flicked on, glowing softly golden before swiftly brightening to a brilliant white. The cannon almost shook on Handsome Jack's arm and Alexander's eyes went wide as he took a step back.

"Uh…"

Hyperion's president swiftly took aim and fired and the cannon let out a blast of radiant light that doubled and then tripled in size with astounding speed, bowling in and through the approaching Crimson Raiders, charring skin and armor like flash cooked bacon. Handsome Jack had seen orbital cannons with less impressive displays.

"Sweet cheeks?!" he yelled over his shoulder. On the other side of the battlefield, Nadie flinched and sucked in a breath in embarrassment.

"Uh-oh."

"What did you do to these things?" he demanded, cursing when he tried to fire the cannon and it made a rude buzz in response. He quickly swapped to using the other gun on his opposing arm.

"Please tell me this is just a cooldown period and you didn't fry my weapons!"

"It is!" she yelled back. "I have thoughts for a power pack to allow more shots before they temporarily shut down, but I didn't have enough time to build and test it."

"Did you have enough time to test these?!"

There was a long moment in which she didn't answer and then she replied sheepishly, "I ran them through half a dozen simulations!"

"Babe!"

"I knew you'd be fine!"

"How did you even get them? I don't remember handing them to you!"

"I sorta helped myself while you were arguing with my dad about getting into Sanctuary."

"That's amazing!" Claptrap squealed. "Can you install something like that into me? Give me a badass ray gun?"

"I'm afraid I don't do robotics. Sorry, Claptrap."

"Awww…"

"You people worry too much about firepower when a good round of punching will serve just as well," Brick laughed as he slammed two Raiders together. "And the best thing it, I don't run out of ammo!"

"Though we are quickly running out of enemies," Alexander replied, picking off another Crimson Raider who had belatedly decided the fight was no longer worth it. He took aim for one of the last Raiders when a flaming skag went barreling by him with a roar.

"What the…?!" he sputtered, dropping the rifle from his shoulder to watch the beast chase down the last few Raiders. As the bull skag tore through one of the Crimson Raiders, Alexander looked over at Handsome Jack with a perplexed expression who simply looked back at him and shrugged. They simultaneously turned to stare at Nadie who's eyes widened when she spotted their gazes.

"She did it," she informed them, pointing at Tiny Tina, who was rubbing her hands together and chuckling maliciously as she watched her pet at work. Handsome Jack let out a soft hiss between his teeth.

"Bandits…" he growled under his breath as he began making his way toward the Sirens, Alexander in close tow. Nadie stepped toward him to meet him halfway, and he watched as she looked him over, scrutinizing him for any indication of wound or damage. He waved a soothing hand at her and walked passed her, approaching the blue haired Siren. Maya crossed her arms over her chest while Tina straightened to glower at him darkly. Brick took a place behind Maya's right shoulder, brushing his hands together, pleased to be back in action once more.

"So," Maya stated neutrally, meeting the president's gaze.

"So," Handsome Jack replied tonelessly, putting his hands to his hips.

A moment of tense silence followed as they stared at each other evenly, years of hatred and disgust echoing between them.

"Awkward…" Alexander murmured in a sing-song tone, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. Lawson gave him a sharp look and he quieted down.

Maya let out a short sigh.

"So… We're actually working together on this?"

"Looks like. Don't think me for it. This was not my idea." He looked over at Nadie who continued watching Maya until she realized she had his attention. She glanced over at him and did a double take.

"Oh, what? You're blaming this whole alliance on me?"

"I seem to remember some nonsense about enlightened self-interest."

The green haired Siren rolled her eyes.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Why should we trust you?" Maya demanded. Handsome Jack looked back at her coldly.

"Why should I trust _you_?" he retorted. "Don't forget, you assholes tried to kill me."

"Oh no," the blue haired Siren snapped. "That road goes both ways! You had it out for us the moment we stepped foot on Pandora!"

"All I'm trying to do is clean up some filth in this universe."

"Oh, that's rich coming from the man who was using his daughter as a to—"

 _"Don't you dare!"_ Handsome Jack snarled in fury. "Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence! I _loved_ my daughter! I gave her everything she ever needed!" Two quick steps closed the distance between them until he was looming over her, chest heaving as he fought to control himself. Nadie darted after him, hovering at his shoulder, and Brick immediately shifted himself closer to Maya protectively.

The blue haired Siren sneered.

"You gave her everything she needed? Like a crippling addiction to Eridium? Like a lonely life locked in an ivory tower?"

"I _protected_ her! Until you assholes _murdered_ her!"

Maya scoffed.

"You had lost your daughter _long_ before we ever met her. Now, get out of my face and back off, or else I am going to make you."

"You're going to make me?" he demanded in a low snarl, leaning closer in. "Let me guess… Phaselock me? Shoot me? Just like the hundreds of other people you've murdered in your life?"

The Siren's lips twitched.

"No. I won't lift a finger. Not for you. _Enrique!_ "

Suddenly, there was a howl and the flaming skag who had been minding his own business consuming the bodies of the bandits was charging toward them, its intent fixed firmly on Handsome Jack. He cursed and Nadie grabbed his arm and bodily yanked him back. The skag roared in triumph as it lunged toward them, the Vault Hunters scattering away, Lawson going for his revolver, but Nadie simply planted her feet, braced herself and thrust her arm down the open gullet of the skag. The skag snapped its jaws down on her arm, teeth ripping into skin and muscle, causing blood to gush from the open wounds, but its snarl of success mutated rapidly into a gurgle and then a whine as the Siren caught hold of the back of its tongue and began to squeeze. Her wings flared wide, bathing the battleground in amethyst light, and the gouges and tears began to heal while the skag started to whimper and yank back. The green haired Siren tightened her grip and the whining became panicked squealing.

"Enrique!" Tina screamed and only Brick's quick motion caught her from throwing herself at the distressed skag.

"Call him off," Nadie ordered softly, eyes glowing brightly, locking gazes with the opposing Siren. "Call him off, or I swear on whatever being you consider holy that I will rip his tongue out and strangle you with it."

They stared at each other for a long moment, two women of the same ilk, but of very different minds, each weighing the will of the other.

"Nadie."

Lawson's voice was soft and emotionless, but the green haired Siren heard it for what it was. She slowly let go of the poor animal who yelped when it realized its freedom and quickly scrambled behind the Vault Hunters.

Finally, Maya sighed.

"I'm sorry, Enrique," she said softly, looking behind her at the bull skag. The skag whined lowly and pawed the dirt near her feet.

"Look," Nadie began gently. "I don't know what happened between you all. I don't know, and right now, I don't care. What I do know is that someone who will happily murder us _all_ is right over there, in that building, and she has something that will keep any of us from reaching our goals."

"Reaching _your_ goals," Maya retorted. Nadie growled and rolled her eyes.

"You're right. Reaching _my_ goals. Reaching _my_ goals of murdering the asshole who killed my best friend. Reaching _my_ goals of burying the bastards who slaughtered thousands of innocents! I don't give a fuck about any of your goals, but as long as they're not counter to mine, I will swear to you, I have no interest in interfering with them."

They stared at each other for another long moment and then Maya took a slow breath.

"Ok… Where do we start?"


	21. Chapter 20

Moxxi tapped a finger on her desk once and then twice. Scattered across the desktop were various maps, calculations, and an inspired drink recipe scrawled on the front of a closed manila folder. The recipe was for pleasure, but the documents contained within the folder were for profit.

So close now… She was regretful that she hadn't been able to convince Tanis to, at the very least, stay out of her way, but the Pandoran woman deeply mourned the loss of Brick—the big Vault Hunter would have enjoyed the fruits of her labor immensely. She had held off bringing him in on the plan for fear of pricking that conscience he had grown in the wake of Lilith and Mordecai's death, but trying to bring Tanis over and failing had tipped her hand. Once Brick had come running to Tanis' aid, there was no reasoning with him. He was worse than an animal when he got going; there would have been no calming him long enough to explain why what she was doing was for the greater good.

"You know they will come," a voice said from the door. Moxxi looked up slowly, studying the Assassin who regarded her in return.

All for the greater good… even if they each had their own reasons for pitching in. Their personal goals mattered to Moxxi only so far as she needed to understand them and stay five steps ahead of them all.

So far, so good, when everything was said and done.

"I know," she replied. "The narrow minded always fight. But it won't matter. Progress and profit drive this world, sugar, and I'll see both needs fed."

"They will attempt to stop you."

She smiled and patted the folder.

"You can't win when you fight the future, Zer0. I know that. You know that. Azrae… Asha… Even the Crimson Raiders understand that. The Vault Hunters were going stagnate. I know you saw it."

"Death takes those who stop."

"And neither of us is the type to just lie down and accept the inevitable. We'll change it, sugar, and you can bet we'll make money on the way."

"Money does not call/Does not offer a challenge/Worthy of pursuit."

The buxom woman laughed.

"It's never been about the money for you. But that money will draw in those who will fulfill every need you have—that, I can promise you. Don't worry, Zer0. As my champion, I'll make sure our relationship is satisfying for both of us. All we have to do is iron out these last little upsets before we can surge into the future."

/

/

Azrae's fingers flew over her keyboard, words and numbers dancing across the screen, her brows furrowed in concentration. Beside her, a machine cracked and hummed, singing its own unique electronic song, its cacophonous noise intersecting and interfering with any Echo communications coming in or going out of the area. The sound had become as familiar to her as her heartbeat over the past few days, so she couldn't fault it for her distraction.

Her computer let out a bleep as she overreached and entered a key code that meant nothing to her program. An annoyed hiss escaped her and she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. What was distracting her…?

But she already knew what it was; it was the _lack_ of distraction. There was no cheery male voice greeting her at the door, no teasing about when the last time she had seen the sun was, no gentle prompters reminding her to eat. The room was empty except for her breathing and the humming of the machine.

"Fuck," she cursed softly. "I don't miss you. You fell behind the times. You got lost."

She stared at her screen and then leaned forward, covering her face with her hands.

"When did I lose you, Harolt?"

/

/

They had become a fairly sizeable group, and an odd one at that. A masked man, two Sirens, a man in a Stetson and trench coat, the bulk of muscle that was Brick, the bucket of cheery bombardier that was Tiny (who was doing her best to ignore Handsome Jack's presence), a claptrap, the blonde haired sniper, and a flaming skag.

It was one of the few times Alexander felt like he was the most normal out of the bunch.

"So where are we going?" the gun designer questioned from the cramped back of the truck. Nadie had moved up front to sit between her father and her lover, and everyone else had cautiously climbed into the back. Luckily, Enrique, the flaming skag, seemed just fine loping along easily near the vehicle, so they didn't have to try and make room for him. Alexander couldn't imagine what havoc being near that much fire would wreck on his skin.

"There's an old abandoned building just up ahead where we can settle in and plan," Maya replied.

"Bah," Brick huffed. "Let's just take the fight straight to 'em now! I'm ready!" He slammed his fists against one another in emphasis.

"That works just fine for you, big man," Maya retorted, "but the rest of us are more the planning sort before we dive straight into the maw of the beast. Besides, you know Moxxi will have contingency plans." She paused and then gave the Vault Hunter a smile. "It is good to see you in one piece and in high spirits again. How did you manage that?"

Brick simply pointed at the back of Nadie's head who flinched, realizing she had been brought into the conversation. She turned to look back at them.

"Uh, hi."

"So, that whole healing thing isn't just on yourself, huh?" the blue haired Siren inquired of her counterpart.

"Nope. I can heal other people about as well as I can heal myself."

Maya nibbled on her lower lip as she studied Brick for a moment before cautiously asking, "I suppose you wouldn't be willing to help me out? If you can put him back together…." She gestured to the burns across her skin. Nadie looked her over and shook her head grimly.

"The only reason I was able to fix Brick up was with the assistance of Eridium. If you had some around, I could probably do something, but otherwise, I'm afraid the severity of your wounds are beyond me."

Beside her, Handsome Jack stiffened, waiting for a response from the back. When Maya sighed in frustration, he relaxed.

"I'm afraid I don't have any of it," the Vault Hunter grumbled. "Oh well, I was hoping." She shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry."

The roof and upper story of a building half buried in sand emerged between the dunes and Lawson slowed the truck down as they approached it. Maya turned and looked at the bull skag.

"Enrique, would you go check it out? Make sure no one's in there."

The skag huffed and dashed off toward the building, brute forcing open the door that used to be on a balcony so he could pad in. Lawson grunted.

"Friendly-looking place."

"Well, it'll keep us off the radar," Maya replied and scooted herself to the edge of the truck carefully. Claptrap rolled out quickly and held up a hand to the Siren.

"Madam, if I may be of assistance?"

A ghost of a smile flittered across Maya's face.

"Thank you, Claptrap." She took the offered hand and leaned on him as she slid to the sand. "I'm usually a little more limber than this, but that fight really took it out of me."

The group quickly made their way into the building, blinking in the darkness within.

"Hey, bot," Handsome Jack ordered, "make yourself useful and go see if you can find a generator for this place. We're going to need some light."

"Why should I stumble alone through the dark?" Claptrap demanded. The masked man groaned.

"Because you don't have to rely on sight to navigate, you stupid robot. The rest of us do."

"Oh yeah… I'm on it!" The yellow box rolled off into the dark, and for a few moments, there was silence. Then, a series of thumps followed by a loud yell of, "Ow! There are stairs here! I'm going to need a hand getting back up!" echoed from somewhere ahead of them. Quiet swelled up again until they heard a robotic scream.

"Aaaggghh—oh, hi, Enrique! You can't surprise a guy like that!"

"Oh my god," Handsome Jack sighed, rubbing his face with a hand.

A few loud bangs sounded and then a hum ran through the building as lights clicked on, illuminating a room where sand had begun to encroach and claim the floor space. Nadie walked to an upended table and righted it.

"Well, it's no three star hotel, but it'll do."

"Uh, guys?" came Claptrap's voice from below. "You might want to see what Enrique found!"

"He is good at finding things," Tina attested, "though usually its bandits."

"Or Vault Hunters," Maya added dryly. "I'll stay up here." She pulled up a forgotten chair and settled into it carefully, hissing a little.

"Well, I'll bite," Nadie commented idly. "I'd be curious to see what a skag found that's so interesting. He's not going to bite any of us, is he?" She eyed the blue haired Siren worriedly. Maya smirked.

"As long as Tina or I don't tell him to, he'll behave."

"Good to know. Let's go find out what they found!"

Lawson and Brick stayed back with Maya to start setting up something resembling a war room, leaving Tina, Nadie, Handsome Jack, and Alexander to go find out what the fuss was about. They took the stairs carefully, the tread marks in the sand ample warning to the danger in their descent, but eventually they wound their way through the hall to the door that both Enrique and Claptrap waited at.

"Lookie, lookie!" Claptrap said by way of greeting, pointing to the insignia on the door.

"Torgue?" Nadie questioned curiously. Handsome Jack "hmed" thoughtfully.

"He did claim this area of Pandora as his own. I suppose it wouldn't be out of the question some of his… products might have been left here." He leaned down to examine the keypad beside the door. "Still active. Gimme a sec. I should have this open in no time."

He went to work, tapping at the panel. Nadie peered over his shoulder, but even carefully studying his actions granted no more enlightenment as to how to crack them though he deftly hacked the code. The door slid open with a soft whoosh, revealing a hermetically sealed room beyond bursting with weapons, ammunition, and grenades. Nadie's eyes went wide as she looked around the veritable armory.

"Oh. Oh. I want all of this."

"Score!" Tina squealed and darted into the room beyond, eyeballing the varying sorts of grenades stacked neatly against one wall.

Handsome Jack let out a puff of disapproval.

"Really? These are awful weapons… They're guns for morons."

"Maybe they are _now_ ," Nadie agreed soothingly, "but give me some time with them…"

"Babe."

"We _did_ add four people to our retinue," Alexander pointed out from behind them helpfully. "We'll need to outfit them."

"Does that mean I get first pick?" Claptrap asked excitedly. "I mean, I did find them."

"No, the flaming skag found them," Handsome Jack corrected irritably. "So technically _he_ would get first pick."

"What?" Claptrap protested. "Getting pushed aside for a skag? Harsh!"

Nadie, meanwhile, had already drifted into the room, carefully avoiding bumping into Tina who was discussing pros and cons with each grenade like she was speed dating. The green haired Siren studied her options for a few moments and then started picking out specific weapons that she wanted to work on.

"Oh man. Sir, we might as well leave her here," Alexander informed his superior. "She's got that glint in her eye. We won't get her back until she's halfway through tearing apart those guns."

"That's not true," Nadie protested vaguely, running her fingers across a shotgun.

"Uh-huh," the sniper replied dryly. "What are my two kids' names again?"

"Shawn and where the hell has my screwdriver gone?!" she demanded, patting down her pockets distractedly.

"That's good, Nadie! You got one of them at least."

"Yup, I'm amazing," she replied absentmindedly. "Would you get my tools from the truck?"

"See?" Alexander sighed, looking back at Handsome Jack. "Useless. Let's go back upstairs. I guarantee you it'll be more interesting up there."

/

/

At some point, Nadie realized no one had ever brought her a screwdriver. It was also about the same point she became aware of the fact that she was alone except for the flaming skag, Enrique, who was watching her from the doorway. She stared back at him for a moment while he panted calmly, returning her gaze evenly.

"You know, good help is hard to get sometimes," she told him sternly, waving her crafting hammer in emphasis. Enrique huffed in agreement. She selected up a few of the weapons she had been working on, tucked what tools she had under her arm, and headed upstairs to see what excitement was going on.

"I call dibs on Brick!" Tiny Tina was announcing as she came up to the main room.

"I'm sorry, what now?" the Siren questioned.

"Deciding who's going out on reconnaissance," Handsome Jack explained as she walked up to his side.

"I'll stay here," Maya stated. "I'll send Enrique out to start getting the local animals over here so I can begin giving them instructions."

"I'm not volunteering," Nadie added. "I've got quite a bit of work to do before these are going to be even vaguely useful." She gestured to her armful of weaponry.

"I suppose I should go," Alexander observed. "This is sort of my shtick."

"Oooooh, does that mean the big man in the coat can go too?" Tina squealed. "I like his hat!"

"You ain't getting it," Lawson responded dryly.

"Awww! I'll swap you!" Tina tapped her beret.

"Don't think I'd pull it off," the sheriff grunted.

"If that's the case, I'll stay close by to be near if there's any trouble," Handsome Jack offered. Maya stiffened and looked up at him sharply. He caught her expression and frowned.

"Trust me, if I had wanted you dead, we would not be here. I'm not going to shoot you once everyone's out of sight. Besides, my girlfriend would just heal you anyway and then I'd get an earful."

Nadie turned slowly to stare at him and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Am I wrong?"

"Well, no… I mean, we've gone to such trouble already."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm not one for wasted energy."

"Awesome, we have a plan!" Alexander energetically confirmed. "And break! C'mon, Claptrap!" He spun on his heel and started for the door.

"What?" Claptrap squeaked. "You want me to come with you?"

Alexander peered back at him. "Of course! You are my bot."

Claptrap froze and then all but shook in excitement before letting out a triumphant yell.

"Onward!" he exclaimed, heading for the door ahead of everyone else.

"Do they ever stop?" Lawson asked flatly.

"No," Nadie and Handsome Jack replied simultaneously. The big man shook his head and started after the duo. Brick followed shortly after, but Tina paused long enough to repeat her "I'm watching you" gesture at both Nadie and Handsome Jack. Then, she darted after her big companion. Nadie just shook her head.

"That girl is something."

"Something is a word," Handsome Jack agreed. He looked over the weapons she had brought up and frowned. "Are you going to need me for anything? If not, I'm going to see if I can find anything else of interest in this ruin."

"Be my guest. Unless you want to hold parts and hand me tools when I need them?"

"Pass. I'll be back later," he replied dryly. He turned and headed back toward the stairs, leaving the two Sirens on their own.

"Enrique," Maya instructed, "go find whatever skags or rakks or stalkers you can. Bring them to me."

The skag rumbled and then headed out the door into the afternoon sands. The green haired Siren watched him go and then turned to study the other woman. Maya looked back at her in return. The awkward moment of silence stretched out until Nadie finally broke it by inquiring, "So, you have the Heart, huh?"

Maya's brows crooked up.

"You know about it?"

"Heck yeah. I've been looking for it basically all my life. Not going to lie—when Patricia said Moxxi had a Siren who could command animals, I thought she had it."

Maya cursed.

"Asha joined with Moxxi on this? What the hell is going on?" she demanded, the question obviously rhetorical. Nadie shrugged.

"Profit? It seems to be what motivates most people on this planet."

The blue haired Siren gave her counterpart an even look.

"Not all of us are in this mess for money," she stated, her tone clearly speaking for her thoughts on Nadie's reasoning for being involved. The gunsmith smiled.

"In my defense, I'm not in it for the money, either. But I didn't necessarily mean money when I said 'profit.' You should know as well as me—everyone is out for something for themselves. Everyone has a price. Sometimes it's money. Sometimes it's power. Sometimes it's family or safety."

"What's your price?" Maya prodded.

"Loyalty," Nadie replied. "Affection. Friendship. Love."

"You get that he doesn't know any of those qualities, right?" the Vault Hunter warned. She didn't need to specify to whom she referred.

"I think I know a different side of him than you do," Nadie responded easily as she held out a hand to the other Siren. Maya eyed the offered palm and then cautiously took it. The moment she made contact, Nadie's markings began to glow softly and her amethyst power washed over the burned Siren's skin. None of the scarring smoothed, but the aches in her joints faded and left her feeling pleasantly warm.

"Wow…" Maya breathed. "That is amazing. I wish I had known you when you could have helped me get rid of these." She brushed a finger over the scar tissue. "Though, I guess we probably wouldn't be on speaking terms if that had been the case."

"Who knows?" Nadie shrugged. "Maybe I would have agreed with you all."

"Maybe," Maya acknowledged. "And you certainly wouldn't have been dating him at that point…He had a girlfriend during that whole affair."

Nadie crooked a brow and pointed in the direction of the coliseum. Maya shook her head.

"Not Moxxi. That was before I even got to Pandora. It was a woman by the name of Nisha. She took over Lynchwood and ruled it with an iron fist. She was… uh… not a kind woman."

Nadie sighed a little and dipped her head in acknowledgment.

"Well, that's fitting of this planet," she stated simply.

"She killed Brick's puppy."

That brought an unhappy squeak out of the other woman.

"She did _what_?!"

When Maya nodded, Nadie frowned.

"Was it an attack dog? Or really annoying? Or did it at least pee on her shoe or something?"

"Nope. She snapped its neck in front of Brick. Just so she could break him."

The green haired Siren scowled, clearly upset at the prospect, and for all the strikes against her, it made Maya feel a little surer of the other woman's character.

"This is a shitty planet," Nadie began, "but that doesn't mean you need to bring innocents into the mix." She made a noise of realization that wasn't quite a laugh. "Course, from what I understand, both sides did just that."

"We were the ones trying to save people," Maya protested. "It was Jack who was going to murder half the planet."

"Nah, nah, nah, don't try and sell me your propaganda," Nadie retorted. "You people killed plenty in your quest to get stuff and stop him. I mean, hell. Look at what you did to Opportunity. Most of those people had never even picked up a gun!"

"Well, you want to overthrow a dictator, people are going to get hurt."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe this planet is better for having a dictator?"

"Oh, right."

"No, seriously. You have a planet that had some of the worst of the worst released across it. Decades go by, and it never gets better. Psychos run amok, towns live in constant fear. Then Jack takes over. He cleans up the bandits, he establishes law and order. So it's authoritarian. So what? It's far better than what it used to be! People are safer on Pandora. They can walk outside of a town's walls now without being worried about getting gunned down. You don't have to wake up afraid you're going to end up on some cannibal's plate. Most of the good people on this planet aren't fighters like we are. They were always in danger of becoming prey. Now they actually have some safety. And yes, they have to give up some freedoms for it, but how do you put a price on knowing your children will grow up and be fed and educated? Knowing they could make something of themselves, maybe even leave this planet? We didn't have that until Jack came along. Simply learning to read and write was a luxury. I don't think you people really understand what it was like here before he took over."

"Yeah, but what you don't see is the blood he waded through to get here."

The green haired Siren shrugged.

"No birth is bloodless. Evolution and change don't happen without pain. You don't have to agree with me, but I grew up here. What we have now is a dream compared to what it used to be."

Maya made a noise of disparity and the two Sirens stared at each other for a long moment.

"Ok, agree to disagree," Nadie finally sighed. "Let's change topics then. What's it like having the Heart? May I see it?"

"It's… it's weird. It's not just that I can talk to animals now… It's that they can talk to me that's hard to deal with. They don't get humans and trying to explain to a skag why it shouldn't eat that yummy-looking two-legger over there can be… difficult at times." She reached up and rubbed her chest over the circular Siren mark that rested on her sternum.

"I'm afraid I can't show it to you. It was… I guess absorbed is the right word?... into my body. Which is odd, given the thing was about the size of my torso initially. I can't really feel it inside me, not like the way Eridian feels when it's powering me. It feels normal, almost like it's an ability I've had my entire life."

"So, what you're saying is, you have no idea how to de-attune to it."

"I don't even know if it's possible," Maya admitted. "Asha and I had talked at length about that same concept. Even tried a few things, but nothing worked."

"Drat," the gunsmith grumbled. "I guess that means I can't steal it from you."

"No, I would imagine you can't. Sorry."

Nadie smiled wanly. "You're not sorry."

Maya reluctantly returned the thin grin. "No, I'm not. Not exactly enthused with the idea of giving it to Handsome Jack's girlfriend."

"Agh!" Nadie groaned, tipping her head back. "I don't want it for him! I want it for me!"

"Yeah, well, if you have it, he has it. He makes use of any tool he has available."

She looked like she was going to say something more, but a piercing screech outside the open door interrupted her. A trio of rakks fluttered into the door and beat their wings rapidly as they landed on the sand in front of Maya. The one in front squeaked and cocked its head at her, focusing a bright eye on her.

"Oh, there you are," Maya greeted. "Thank you for coming."

The rakk squawked back.

"Yes, I know," she continued, "but I'm going to need your help."

Nadie sat back in her seat, easing her hand off her gun, intently watching the animals for any sign of hostility. It was a bizarre event to watch—it was clear the blue haired Siren was speaking _to_ them as opposed to _at_ them, and they actively responded. Nadie could only understand Maya's half of the conversation, but it was clear the rakks participated in it, as they made varying cries and caws in response to the woman's words.

After a few minutes, the lead rakk bobbed its head and the trio took off, darting back out the door.

"That was… interesting," Nadie observed. Maya gave her a lopsided grin.

"Things are going to get a bit more hectic pretty quick," she warned her. "Now that I've got them out looking for others, there's going to be a lot of critters coming in and out soon."

"I'd best get to work, then," the gunsmith nodded, turning back to her tools and weaponry.

Time crawled by, every type of animal that Nadie had grown up fearing coming through the doors to visit the other Siren. Handsome Jack returned halfway through one of these meetings and paused at the top of the stairs, watching the scene unfold with quirked eyebrows. Once the pack of skags had departed, he rejoined Nadie, nodding a head toward Maya.

"That was quite the show."

"You missed the bullymong," she informed him.

"I thought your dad was out on reconnaissance," he protested. Nadie tilted her head and turned slowly toward him.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Your father… the bullymong? In a leather coat? With a gun? You know, that bullymong."

She frowned deeply. "He is not a bullymong."

"Are you sure, babe?" He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, a teasing grin on his lips. "I mean, he does have the same vocabulary…" Hyperion's president imitated a few of Lawson's grunts, emphasizing the animalistic qualities of them. She rolled her eyes.

"Sweetie? Come over here. I need to hit you, and I can't let go of this barrel."

"Sweet cheeks, what are you doing holding any barrel other than mine?" he retorted with a wicked smile. Across the way, Maya groaned in disgust.

"Get a room, you two!"

Before Siren or president could retort, a figure appeared in the entryway, panting heavily. The trio immediately froze, attentions fixed on the newcomer.

"Alexander? What happened?" Nadie demanded worriedly. The sniper gulped in a breath to speak.

"We're going live!" he wheezed. Handsome Jack cursed and Maya pushed herself to her feet.

"Brick and Tina?" she asked, her tone indicating she was already pretty sure of the answer.

"Mostly Brick," Alexander puffed.

Handsome Jack turned and regarded Nadie, who blinked and looked back at him.

"What?"

"This is your fault, you know."

"Huh? How is this my fault?"  
"Enlightened self-interest, right? I just wanted them dead."

She looked skyward as she sighed, "I really am never going to hear the end of this. Let's go."


	22. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay, everyone. A mix of holidays, writer's block, and a busy work schedule made for slow writing. And now, onward!

/

/

Brick ducked under gunfire and slammed his shoulder into the side door of the coliseum. He was not one for architecture or craftsmanship, but even he had to be impressed when the door shook but held strong under his assault.

"Heads up!" Tina yelled from nearby as a Crimson Raider stuck his head out of an upper window and dropped a trio of live grenades toward the Vault Hunter. Brick huffed in irritation and kicked up a piece of debris, catching it and knocking away the incoming explosives.

"Hey!" he yelled. "What have I told you boys about facing your opponents down?"

"That we should always keep the upper hand!" the Raider shouted back and then disappeared into the coliseum once more.

A roar rattled through the hot afternoon air and the Warrior lunged up and over the arena, a beat of its wings propelling it almost gracefully toward the assailants.

"Get back here!" Lawson yelled at the two errant fighters, gesturing for them to join him behind the ruined wall that might have once served as a small town's shield.

"Are they usually this reckless?" he demanded of the claptrap unit huddled behind the stone near his leg.

"I think it comes with the title of 'Vault Hunter,'" Claptrap replied, straightening enough to peer through the cracks in the stone wall. Tiny Tina yelped and dodged out of the way of the blast of fire the Warrior spat at her. She retaliated by throwing a grenade at it. The bioweapon watched the tiny explosive fly up to it and then let out a precise shot of fire at it to ignite it midair.

"Show off!" the young bombardier hollered even as she scrambled toward the sheriff.

Brick, who was in a grapple with a Raider that had foolishly tried to punch him, broke it by slamming his head into the hapless combatant's face. As the other man slumped, groaning, the Vault Hunter chucked him bodily into another Crimson Raider about to take a shot at Tiny Tina.

"Hey! Keep your eyes on me, slab!"

The Raider swore and spun on the big man only to watch a look of concern take Brick's face as his gaze went passed the man and up.

"Or," Brick amended, "keep your eyes on _that_!" He dodged as a burst of fire bathed the place the Raider and he had been standing. The Berserker got out of the way swiftly enough to feel just a little crisp at the edges; however, the Raider had not been as quick on the draw.

"What now, Stetson?" Tina asked as she hopped over the wall next to Lawson. Brick huffed as he joined them. The Warrior watched them go and cocked its head to the side in a very cat-like gesture, as if wondering what the heck they were doing.

"Hmph," Lawson grunted. He almost agreed with the bioweapon—the wall they were using as a shield would never hold against that breath weapon, never mind the claws… or the tail…

"Thing's a cat," the sheriff grumbled in realization. "Dangerous at every end."

The Warrior pulled its head back, chest expanding as it drew in a deep breath to unleash another gout of flame, but a screech pierced the air and a trio of large rakks dove into the bioweapon's face, slamming their leathery wings into its eyes. The Warrior dodged back from the sudden attack, spitting fire from between its teeth in all directions as it whipped its head around to follow the rakks' path. A deep bellow of challenge rang out and a flaming skag lunged passed the trio toward the bioweapon, a pack of regular skags following close behind.

"Enrique!" Tina yelled happily. The skag howled a greeting as he went by. The Warrior snarled at the incoming skag pack, its attention focused on the new intrusion, and its single-minded attention on them meant it missed the disturbance in the sand beneath its belly. Out of the dirt burst dozens of spiderants who quickly separated into small squadrons and began attacking the Warrior's feet. The bioweapon snapped its head down to see the ones responsible for this new assault even as it began to alternate lifting and swiping with its clawed paws.

Tiny Tina smiled brightly and bounced on her heels.

"Maya's here!"

"Well, it's about time!" Claptrap exclaimed, putting his hands to his sides in mock disappointment. "We missed our favorite Siren!"

"I think my feelings are hurt!" Nadie shouted across the way as she came round another abandoned building, firing what looked like a shotgun at a group of Crimson Raiders. The gun spat out a few dozen small balls with a popping sound not unlike a BB gun. The Raiders watched the pellets fly toward them and litter the sand around their feet. One or two even tapped harmlessly against several of the fighters' armor, dropping to the ground lifelessly. The Raiders exchanged amused glances and then looked back at the Siren, chuckling. Nadie grinned.

"Cute, huh?"

She lifted her arm up and snapped her fingers imperiously, striking the finger caps on her thumb and middle finger together. A jolt of electricity shot between the caps and all the pellets began humming simultaneously. The amusement immediately dissipated from the Crimson Raiders as they quickly brought their weapons back up before anything else could happen, but lightning steaked between the small balls and each pellet instantaneously detonated in a burst of blue and white hissing light, engulfing the area in blinding illumination. The radiance's brilliance forced all onlookers to turn away swiftly, and after a sputtering sizzle and a sickening snap, the light died, leaving a gap where the Raiders had been standing and glass instead of sand.

There was a long moment of silence on the part of both sides.

"I bring you neat presents, and I'm still not the favorite?" Nadie asked, laughing. The gun in her hands let out a nasty-sounding buzz.

"Welp, that was fun," she stated idly and tossed the gun over her shoulder.

"What was _that_?" Brick demanded, even the die-hard hand-to-hand fighter impressed.

"Eh," Nadie shrugged. "Torgue guns do explosives amazingly well, but that's about all they do. I just turned it to eleven."

"Seriously, babe," Handsome Jack stated as he joined the other fighters on the field of battle, taking the opportunity to unleash an overcharged laser blast, making use of the chaos Nadie's entry had caused. "I'm chaining you to the drafting board once this is done."

"I don't know if I could recreate that thing if I tried," she protested with a grin. He returned the smirk and then looked passed her, his smile fading.

"Oh, come on!" he yelled, gesturing to Warrior who was embroiled with an ever-growing amount of animals. "Don't mess him up!"

"Keeping your pet in one piece is not high on my priority list," Maya retorted as she stepped into view on the roof of the building near the trio half buried in sand.

"You should be!" he retorted. "He's what helps keep law and order on this miserable pile of dirt!"

Maya snorted, but Lawson cut in before she could spit something back.

"They're keeping him away from us. Where's the loafer?"

"Doing his job," Nadie replied, pointing to a warehouse a distance away. As if to punctuate her point, a sharp crack sounded and three Raiders screamed simultaneously.

"How _does_ he do that?" Hyperion's president demanded. Nadie shrugged.

"He's very, very good at what he does. When he wants to do it," she added.

Brick laughed abruptly.

"Speakin' of being good at what we do…" He lunged back out into the fray, cackling manically. Handsome Jack groaned irritably.

"Bandits," he growled before joining the battle. The Siren darted toward the place the big man had been even as Lawson and Tina went back on the offensive.

"Claptrap!" Nadie called. The robot paused before rolling out into the open sands.

"Here. It isn't a light gun, but I altered it so it should be something easy for you to carry," she continued, handing the yellow box a machine gun. "But, uh, don't be near what you're shooting at."

Claptrap took the gun almost reverently as he asked, "This is for me? Really?"

"Of course. You aren't going to do anyone much good unarmed."

"Thank you, Nadie!" he squealed excitedly and rushed over to hug her leg. The Siren blinked and shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh, you're welcome, I guess. But seriously. Don't be near its point of impact. I don't know enough about robotics to put you together again."

"Can do!" he responded eagerly and darted off into the sand. Nadie watched him go and then looked out over the army of Crimson Raiders, willing to die to protect their base and their lady.

"Just like cleaning up a bandit camp," she told herself.

/

/

It wasn't that the Raiders were particularly dangerous. It wasn't that they were well-armed. It was that there were hundreds of them, each ready to stand strong for their ideals, willing to sacrifice themselves and their fellows if it meant keeping the group from gaining any ground. The Warrior was an ever-present danger, but with Maya's influence on the wildlife of Pandora, it had become almost more hazard than active threat. It wasn't surviving the fight that worried Nadie—it was the preparations their enemies were making in the ample time they were being provided with that concerned her.

The Siren darted behind the edge of a ruined building, peering around at a group of Raiders settling in among some debris to take aim at Brick. Her muscles tightened and she let out a slow breath, picking out a Raider close to her, before lunging across the way toward him. One of her fists came up and connected to his jaw, causing him to reel back at the impact. The Siren tucked herself behind his body as his fellows spun and opened fire on her, the hapless Raider serving as a human shield. Her human buffer screamed in agony and began to slump as bullets perforated his body. She used his motion to her own benefit and half dragged, half fell with him until she could spin out and drop into the sand behind a nearby hard stone wall.

"Hello, sweet cheeks," Handsome Jack greeted from beside her as she plopped down next to him. He had been waiting until the group was in a better position before he took a shot at them.

"Hi, babe! These people have no care for each other, do they?"

"Bandits," he replied simply, his tone making it clear the one word was all the answer needed. A soft chime sounded from the weapons mounted on his wrists and he popped up over the wall to release two blasts of nearly all-consuming light that streaked down the sand dunes one after another. A wicked grin took his lips at the shrieks of agony that ensued.

"I love these!" he exclaimed as he ducked behind the wall once more. She couldn't help but return his delighted grin.

"I promise, once we get out of this, I'll start work on the battery pack to allow you more power for them."

"Just remember, they need to sleek and badass looking," he instructed firmly.

Suddenly, a deep roar echoed across the battlefield, rattling the hot air. Both Siren and president peered over the edge of their makeshift shield to watch the Warrior let out a blast of fire across the assembled animals that were climbing its legs and ripping at its skin. Handsome Jack hissed irritably.

"Fighting my pet was not exactly how I wanted to spend our six month anniversary," he grumbled.

"Being on the receiving side of that breath weapon is not where I'd—wait, what?" She looked up at him sharply. "Six months? Already?"

He gave her a sidelong smirk.

"I thought it was typically the girl's job to pay attention to this kind of stuff."

"I, uh, didn't realize I should be keeping track. It feels so much shorter than that."

"And yet, so much longer," he counted in amusement. His tone changed abruptly.

"Nadie, look." He tipped his head down the way and she glanced over to see Zer0 appear in midair, his sword slicing through the air toward Brick. The big man dodged at the last moment, cursing when he saw the other Vault Hunter, and his attempt to avoid the deadly attack brought him close to one of the Raiders surrounding him. The Crimson Raider took the opportunity to swing at Brick, getting a solid hit into his side. The big man winced, but didn't let the pain slow him down as he backhanded the insolent Raider.

"We take out the Assassin…" Handsome Jack began.

"We get the Warrior," Nadie finished. "Besides, Brick could probably use some help. I think he's about to be in over his head."

"Eh, I'm less concerned about that," he retorted as he followed after her when she darted toward the embroiled Vault Hunter.

"What the hell are you doing, Zer0?" Brick demanded, lunging forward to strike at the Assassin. Zer0 nimbly vaulted back and away, landing in a crouch with his sword angled behind him.

"Why you helping Mox on this?"

"Challenges come not/For the winner or loser/Thus life becomes dull," the Assassin replied, straightening and flipping his sword around. "Stagnation kills all/The battle must rage onward/Else boredom ensues."

"So you betray us because you got _bored_?" Brick growled, surging forward again. Zer0 ducked and dodged, his speed keeping him at bay from the Berserker's grasp, and the snarl that escaped Brick was more animal than human.

"You fight for the fight," the armor-clad Vault Hunter retorted. "You battle for the pleasure/You do not use skill."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You are too simple/The challenge beyond you/Easily beaten."

"Rrrrggh!" the big man all but screamed and leapt for the Assassin. As if that was some signal they had been waiting for, the Raiders surrounding them opened fire, but Brick didn't let the erupting warzone stop him—he almost seemed to shrug off shots that would have crippled a lesser man, as if bullet wounds were beneath him. He swung for Zer0 who dodged back a hair too slow, but a howl of rage escaped the Berserker when his fist went through the Assassin. As the image dissipated, the big man turned on the nearby Raiders and roared angrily.

"Holy crap, remind me never to on his bad side," Nadie sputtered in shock, taking aim and deftly picking off a few of the Raiders further away from Brick. She didn't dare risk shooting into the gunfight-turned-melee as Crimson Raiders hastily dropped their weapons in an effort to protect themselves from the Vault Hunter's wrath.

Beside her, Handsome Jack brought his weapons up to take aim, studying the battlefield, ready to fire the instant danger appeared.

"Don't let your guard down yet," he warned her, shifting his stance to angle his back more to hers. "I've seen this little trick before."

Nadie had a bare moment to get a breath in before she saw exactly what he meant—Zer0 appeared seemingly out of thin air, surging toward Brick's unprotected back with his blade ready and angled to run him through.

"Brick!" the Siren screamed in warning, watching what was becoming a replay of Lucille's death. The big Vault Hunter was strong and durable, but speed was not a trait he had ample amounts of. He flinched enough that Zer0's blade pierced his left lung rather than his heart. Brick let out a wheezed grunt, but a dark grin took his lips.

"Bad move, slab," he informed the Assassin as he turned on the other Vault Hunter, ignoring the blade through his chest. He lashed out a hand and got a grip on Zer0's chest armor, dragging him close.

"You're in punching range now."

An emoticon of an unhappy face flashed across the faceplate of Zer0's helmet before the Berserker's fist met with it solidly. The nimble Vault Hunter was sent careening back, bowling through several Raiders with some force. Brick reached back and began to tug the sword out of his chest.

"Go," Handsome Jack ordered his companion. "I'll cover you." He launched a blast at the off-kilter Assassin even as he spoke. Nadie didn't question the command—she darted down toward the Berserker, placing decisive shots on her way. The Siren and Brick serving as ample distraction for the group of Crimson Raiders, Hyperion's president took the opportunity to fire a second and third time at Zer0. The Assassin took the first of the two to the chest and reeled, but managed to regain his footing and dodge out of the way of the second shot. His success was short-lived, however; ready to join the battle once more, he looked up, expecting to dodge several more bolts of light, but what he found barreling down on him was a small sun. On instinct, he dashed back, leaving an image of himself at the frontline, but the overcharged laser blast burned through his doppelganger and seared across his right side. A grunt of pain escaped him and he flipped back, further away from his assailant, lifting his left arm skyward upon landing. At that signal, a female voice bellowed across the battlefield, "GO!" The animals that had been impeding the Warrior let out their varying cries and dropped away from the bioweapon, retreating from the battlefield. The Warrior howled in triumph and turned on the human combatants.

"Oh crap," Handsome Jack swore. "Babe? Found your counterpart!"

Nadie looked up from healing Brick and followed his gaze. At one of the side doors a brown-haired woman had emerged, Siren markings glowing brightly, and in her hand she held aloft the Vault Key.

"Asha!" Maya shouted angrily from her place on the roof of one of the nearby buildings. The brown haired Siren smiled across the way grimly.

"I think we're at a bit of stalemate, power-wise. Luckily, I brought my good friend with me!" At her words, the Warrior roared and reared its head back, inhaling deeply.

"Let's go!" Nadie ordered, grabbing Brick's arm and yanking him back. The fighters on the battlefield quickly scattered in every direction, the intent to avoid getting caught in the Warrior's breath weapon everyone's top priority.

"I'm noticing there's a certain lack of finesse to that thing," Handsome Jack grumbled when Nadie and Brick caught up to him.

"I don't think finesse was in high demand when it was being created!" Nadie replied as they raced back toward the graveyard of abandoned buildings. The bioweapon's return to the fight had at least given them a reprieve as the Crimson Raiders also dove for cover from its attention.

"Tina!" Brick yelled, taping his Echo as the Warrior turned on them and lunged after the trio. Maya hopped off the roof to join them in avoiding fire.

"What?" the young bombardier on the other end demanded. "I'm sorta up to my eyeballs in orc filth!"

"Get over here! There's a dragon that needs distracting so we can get the McGuffin!"

"A dragon?! But you people told me you were too low level for that!"

"Tina!"

"I'm coming!"

The Warrior let out a blast of fire that washed over the abandoned warehouse.

"Jack, promise me we won't do this for our one year," the Siren pleaded as a wave of intense heat burst passed them.

A high-pitched whine pierced the air and a familiar ammunition-ladened roar reverberated across the battlefield. The Warrior growled and turned away from the warehouse, snarling angrily.

"Oh, Dad brought Bertha," Nadie observed.

"Bertha?" Handsome Jack repeated. "After Betsy? Seriously?"

Nadie shrugged.

"I named them that as a joke, but then the names sort of stuck."

A loud explosion sounded and the Warrior let out a roar of rage.

"Ok, new plan," Hyperion's president sighed irritably. "Maya, can you get the animals back?"

"With Asha, that will be problematic. I can still order a majority of them—the Heart is stronger than her power, but most of Pandora's life is pack-mentality; if some of their pack doesn't fight—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he interrupted quickly. "Got that covered. Babe? Care to go introduce yourself?"

"I would love to!"

"Awesome. Nadie will provide a distraction. Get the Warrior preoccupied and keep him off our asses. Sweet cheeks, get that Vault Key no matter what." He looked up at Brick and frowned. "Want to do our bullymong and your little psycho a favor and give them some back up with the Warrior until Maya or Nadie get him distracted or under control?"

Brick grunted.

"Only one of us here is a psycho, and I'm looking at him."

Handsome Jack snorted.

"Agree to disagree. You going or no?"

"Yeah, I'll go."

"Great. And everyone keep your eyes open for Squeaky."

"And Claptrap?" Nadie asked impishly. He rolled his eyes.

"I said who I meant. I'm going to go put down an Assassin. And this time, I'm going to make sure I see a body. Let's go."


	23. Chapter 22

(Author's Note: Not that these posts have been coming with any consistency - boo! - with the holidays upcoming, things might get a bit hectic. My intent is to have the final post up by the end of the year. We'll see how that goes!)

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In a totally ideal world, Alexander's schedule was pretty much the same on any given day—he'd get up, pick out his and his wife's outfits, cook breakfast and prepare lunch for the family, wake the kids once Gerty came down and then lavish all three with affection as they ate. After that, the trio would leave for work and school and Alexander would turn his attention to planning for his day, including making any goodies he felt like bringing his coworkers, and then he'd roll into the lab at about nine. Following a hard day of encouraging Nadie and Lucille to do their absolute best (never mind Lucille insisting he was just goofing off), he'd generally head home for a family dinner, possibly assist the kids with any projects they might have, and then Gerty and he would catch an episode or two of an Echo show before heading to bed.

Today had gone nothing like a normal day.

Which, to be fair, he wasn't really upset about; variety was the spice of life, as they'd say. However, the particular plethora of events this day had provided were not exactly the ones he'd have selected for himself. He had certainly been through his fair share of scrapes, and watching Handsome Jack and Nadie in action across the sands was something to behold—not to mention the gigantic Vault Hunter cackling as he dodged the Warrior's claws and teeth; now _that_ was a sight Alexander enjoyed thoroughly—but tallying in the ambushes, the destruction of Opportunity, and Lucille's death brought the day up to a wholloping 'go fuck yourself.'

Settled on an abandoned warehouse's roof with a modded sniper rifle, he was now in the enviable and rather frustrating position of getting to choose where to devote his attentions. His first impulse was to assist Handsome Jack in his battle with Zero, but between the Assassin's ability to disappear and leave a copy of himself and Handsome Jack's high-powered protective shield and enhanced laser cannons, the two were actually doing a decent job of stalemating one another. The gun designer wanted nothing more than to put down the murderer of his best friend, and he hesitated with his sights still on the Assassin, but eventually training forced him to do a quick sweep of the battle. He couldn't let his personal goals interfere with a job—he knew better than that. Silently hoping he could return to that particular fight to help out, he turned and saw Nadie and Maya inbound on the brown haired Siren holding the Vault Key who was wisely sequestering herself behind a battalion of Crimson Raiders. While slipping behind the armed men, Asha yelled orders to the Warrior and then promptly began shouting commands at the animals Maya brought to heel, attempting to run them out of the fight once more.

Then, beyond them all was the trio playing a dangerous game of monkey in the middle with the Warrior. Between Brick's up close and personal tactics, Tiny Tina's resounding explosions, and Lawson's heavy artillery, they were able to force the bioweapon's attention around enough that no one suffered the heat of its focus for too long, both metaphorically and literally. However, the remaining Raiders had seen their chance to get involved once more, and Alexander finally decided he'd do a little crowd control. He took aim and began picking off grunts, letting the named players continue to work. It wasn't a satisfying job, but he knew it was essential. Quantity could very well overwhelm quality if left to its own devices, no matter how highly he held Handsome Jack and Nadie's abilities. So he settled in for playing the support role, a position for which he had ample practice and was quite skilled at.

As he took aim at another Crimson Raider, black armor dashed into his line of fire just as he pulled the trigger. Zer0's shield flared, taking the shot, and the Assassin whipped his helmet around, fixing his attention on the origin of the bullet, an exclamation point on his faceplate. Alexander blinked once in surprise, not having expected the Assassin to step into his sights, and then he gave a toothy grin to no one in particular.

"Well, if you're going to be there anyway…" he drawled, his tone almost an anticipatory growl, and he fired again. Zer0 dodged the new shot, but was quickly finding himself on the defensive now that it was two on one and he couldn't easily reach the second.

It was finally something more like a challenge rather than playtime.

Bias be damned, Alexander indulged himself a little—he aimed for arms and legs, intentionally missing his target by a hair, keeping the Assassin on his toes, taking the opportunity to watch him sweat. Handsome Jack monopolized on the new distraction, risking the cooldown period of his cannons more frequently and not ducking behind ruined walls and abandoned equipment as often.

"Being in two places at once isn't much help when you're still getting shot, huh?" Hyperion's president said with a dry laugh. "Alexander!"

Even across the distance, the sniper heard the intent in the command: time to stop playing. He watched as the Vault Hunter twitched and the gun designer swung his weapon around, calculating exactly where Zer0 would emerge.

Suddenly, a small, yellow box darted through Alexander's field of vision. The sniper started and pulled back from the rifle enough to watch the claptrap streak through the sand toward the Siren fight, which was a mess of luminescent wings, animal claws, and teeth as Pandora's fauna attacked each other and the armed women in an utterly chaotic fashion. Alexander cursed as the robot barely dodged a stalker leaping out at him, but rather than turn and run, Claptrap hurried further into the eye of the storm. The sniper quickly brought his weapon around to try and cover the small box, but Claptrap dove headlong into the anarchy and disappeared.

"He's going to get himself killed!" Alexander realized aloud in a mixture of horror and irritation. He had about half a second to consider his options; who was he afraid of disappointing more—Handsome Jack or Gerty?

Alexander abandoned his post and lunged out into the sand toward the menagerie of animals, shouldering his rifle.

Meanwhile, Zer0 reappeared in a crouch in the sand as Handsome Jack disintegrated his doppelganger, the former's attention fixed on the masked man, sword held behind him at the ready. A tense moment passed between them as they stared at each other, and when no rifle shot echoed as expected, the Assassin slowly straightened. Handsome Jack frowned.

"Squeaky?!" he demanded. Zer0 cocked his head to the side, and the following silence stretched. Then, the Vault Hunter snorted.

"Hmph." He burst forward into a sprint toward Handsome Jack. Hyperion's president brought his arms up to shoot at the oncoming Assassin, but both cannons let out an angry buzz.

"Oh crap," he swore and grabbed for the pocket watch on his lapel, activating the technology within, taking his turn to disappear from view.

Nadie dodged back from a rakk when it turned on her and attempted to smash its wings into her face.

"Ack! Maya!"

"I'm doing the best I can!" the blue haired Siren shouted back before snapping a command at the rakk who squawked in confusion and awkwardly tried to flip back around. Asha yelled an order out and a stalker lunged into the rakk, barely missing clawing the gunsmith in the process.

"Maya!" Nadie hollered again.

"Come on, Maya," Asha added snidely from across the way, "I thought you had total control over them! You _do_ have the Heart, after all."

"It's not like it stops your powers from working!" Maya protested angrily. Then, her eyes widened. "Is _that_ what this is all about, Asha? You want the Heart?!"

"Whose power deals with animals, Maya?" the other Siren growled. "Who was all but built for controlling these beasts from the get-go? That artifact should be mine by all rights! I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but we both know there's no separating you from it, so I'll just have to wrest it from your corpse! _Take_!" she screamed and suddenly a huge bullymong was barreling down on the other two Sirens. Nadie had enough time to grab Maya's arm and ignite her power before the animal slammed into both of them and bodily rammed them across the sand. Asha watched them go with a dark laugh and then turned her full attention to the Warrior.

"Tate—I mean, Asha!" an electronic voice called, interrupting the orders she was about to levy. She spun to see Claptrap roll quickly toward her, gun in his hands, but not aimed at her. The Raiders near her immediately leveled their weapons at the robot, but Asha waived them off.

"Wait."

Claptrap boldly came right up to the Siren, stopping a few feet away.

"Why are you doing this, Asha?" he asked. "They're your friends! Well, some of them, at least. Why did you betray them?"

"Oh, Claptrap," Asha sighed, kneeling down to be on eyelevel with the bot. "You are just too damn naïve. People like us, we've always got a goal, we're always looking for something for ourselves. Sometimes that goal coincides with others. Sometimes it doesn't. They lost to Handsome Jack." She gestured in the general direction of the Vault Hunters. "They lived in the dirt, in the dark. Moxxi, she's got a plan to turn this place around, to build it into something that will impact the galaxies. Killing off Jack, taking the Warrior, it's all just the bare beginnings. Come help us, Claptrap. Leave the past behind. There's a whole world of profit ahead of us."

The robot stared up at her for a moment and then looked over at the individuals he had come with. After a moment, he turned back to the brown haired Siren.

"See, Asha, the thing is, it doesn't matter how much money you get. Friends are the most important thing to have! They're there to help you out and give you a hand, they keep you company… Those people out there are my friends! Even if one of them tried to kill me twice. Well, ok, maybe _that_ one isn't my friend, but that's not the point!" He threw his arms up and flailed widely, emphasizing his declaration, and the abruptness of the move jiggled something in his machine gun, triggering it to fire. Everyone jumped as the gun let out a sharp crack and the shot slammed into the sand. Upon impact, the bullet exploded into grenades which lazily flew up into the air and scattered, bouncing across the ground. Each impact set off a blast of electricity, washing over the Crimson Raiders and Asha, frying their shields with a crackle and a pop, before the grenades finally ignited on the third bounce in a burst of hot light. Claptrap squealed and dropped into the sand face-first, arms over his head. Asha threw her hand up to her face in response to the light, letting out a yell of pain, and the Raiders echoed her with cries of their own. Shrapnel flew through the air, slicing through flesh and armor alike, and the Siren screamed as several tore through her arm. Blood poured out of the gouges, and she dropped the Vault Key, cradling her wounded arm. A hiss escaped her and she made to scoop the Key back up, but a bullet buried itself in her good hand, the gunshot coming from somewhere in the middle of the battleground. She swore roundly and dashed back, retreating from combat, forced to abandon the Eridian artifact. Hearing no one near him anymore, Claptrap looked up to see the Vault Key floating a couple inches above the ground just in front of his head.

"Ooooh!" he exclaimed in excitement and shoved himself back up before carefully picking up the Key. He raised it up over his head triumphantly and let out a hummed song of success.

"Doo doo doo doo dah daaah! I have attained one Vault Key!" he shouted happily. Across the way, Nadie and Maya looked up from putting down the bullymong, and on the other side of the field, Zer0 turned toward the robot sharply, an exclamation point lighting up his faceplate. Claptrap did a little spin and bounce, and then abruptly realized he had everyone's attention.

"Uh…" the robot sputtered worriedly as he brought the Key close to his front panel and quickly glanced around as the Raiders closest to him aimed their guns at him. "Warrior! Come to me!"

A tense moment followed as everyone shifted their focus to the bioweapon who roared angrily and dashed through the sand toward Brick. It gave no acknowledgement to the claptrap's command.

"Warrior?" Claptrap hollered a second time, but it sounded more questioning. "Why aren't you listening to me?!"

"You have to have a biometric cardio rhythm!" Handsome Jack snapped as he emerged from cloak. The robot fixed his one eye on the president for a moment and then held the Vault Key aloft once more.

"Oooh! Why didn't you say so? I have plenty of rhythm! Unce, unce, unce," he began, dancing about with the Key.

"You have to have a heartbeat, you imbecile!" Handsome Jack yelled in frustration, and Zer0 lunged toward the claptrap. Hyperion's president swore.

"Nadie!"

At Handsome Jack's call, the Siren looked over and the moment she saw the situation, her wings burst into a bright light and she began running across the sand, her power temporarily releasing the limitations on her body so she could move faster. Claptrap squealed when he saw the Assassin bearing down on him and promptly spun and began streaking away as fast as his little wheel could take him while screaming.

"Aggggghhhhh! Getawayfromme!"

When properly motivated, the little robot was astonishingly fast, but Zer0 was faster; he quickly closed the distance and took a swipe at the Vault Key in Claptrap's hands. The bot squeaked and twisted sharply, kicking up sand as he dove away from the Assassin.

"Claptrap!" Nadie cried out, sliding in the dirt toward him. The claptrap unit changed direction once more, aiming for her, and the Vault Hunter behind him put on a boost of speed to try and catch up before the robot got to the Siren.

"Hot potato!" Claptrap yelped and tossed the Key through the air to Nadie just as the Assassin closed the distance with him. Nadie snatched the Vault Key before it hit the ground and immediately turned her attention to Zer0, her stand shifting to a defensive posture. The Vault Hunter focused on her, dismissing the robot from his notice as Claptrap disappeared into the battlefield, and he straightened warily. Still studying the Siren, he held a hand out, palm facing upwards, silently asking that she give up the Vault Key to him. A sardonic smile curled her lips.

"Oh yeah, right. Like I'm going to hand it over."

"Pity," he replied in that odd, almost inhuman voice. He slipped back into a combat stance and swung his sword around once. Something in the way he moved just didn't sit right with Nadie, however, and it took her half a second to put it together.

"Oh balls," she sighed irritably and curled around the Key just as she felt piercing hot pain tear into her chest from behind. She might have screamed if there wasn't so much blood in her mouth, but she forced her mind to focus passed the pain and she twisted her body sharply to the right. The fire in her lungs became excruciating as her body yanked the sword at an angle, but she ultimately succeeded—Zer0 released the blade as she fell to her knees over the Key, gasping around the metal penetrating her chest. The Assassin looked down at the struggling Siren coldly.

"Goodbye, small Siren—" he began, but was interrupted by a cheery male voice.

"Gerty sends hugs and kisses/This is for Themis."

Zer0 whipped around to find the barrel of a Torgue shotgun inches from his helmet. Alexander didn't give the Vault Hunter a moment to respond to the threat the gun posed—he pulled the trigger the second that he could see the faceplate. The detonation that sounded rattled the battlefield, and even the Warrior and the trio entertaining it looked over to see the events that had transpired.

"Did you just finish his haiku?" Nadie wheezed, vaguely reaching back to the sword to try and get a grip on it as the headless body of the Assassin crumpled nearby.

"Oh, wait until Gerty hears about this!" the sniper began excitedly, going for his Echo.

"Alexander," the Siren snapped tightly, "can it wait until you help me?" She gasped, wincing, her hand falling short of grabbing the blade.

"Nadie, this has been ten years in the making!" he protested. "You're interrupting my euphoria! You heal. You'll be fine!"

She spat out a glob of blood and managed to fix on glowering violet eye on him. Alexander flinched.

"Yes, ma'am." He scampered to her side and took hold of the sword, withdrawing it from her back. The moment it was out of her skin, her wings burst into life once more and she woozily climbed to her feet, coughing.

"They have the Key!" a Raider's voice cried out and howls of rage took the remaining army as they abandoned all caution and raced toward the pair, firing wildly.

"How are there still so many alive?" Alexander demanded, taking aim with the shotgun. Nadie gritted her teeth in a snarl—they had lost the Vault Key, the Assassin was dead, and their Siren had deserted them. And yet, they still had the gall to fight on, after everything else they had done, after all the innocents they had murdered.

She lifted her hand, the Vault Key floating just above her palm. Educated by a scientist who had specialized in Eridian tech, she had held items of some uniqueness before, but nothing like this. The Key immediately resonated with her power, Eridium inlays beginning to glow brightly. It was very much like when she had held the raw Eridium; one moment she could feel the presence of the Key in her hand, the next she was unconsciously reaching into it, activating layers within layers. The Warrior turned toward the remaining army of Raiders and roared.

"For Lucille," Nadie growled, and she felt something change in the Vault Key like a switch had been flipped. The Warrior pulled its head back to unleash its breath weapon, and as it did, a bright white light began to emanate from its chest. The white illumination spread across the bioweapon's body, subsuming all the yellow smoldering veins that had crossed over its skin, shading it in a blue-tinged alabaster hue. When the Warrior opened its mouth, it was not fire that spewed forth, but, rather, frigid air and shards of ice as sharp as glass. The blast of hail and sleet covered a swath of Crimson Raiders, inciting a series of screams and panic as the cold ate through flesh and cloth, completely unhindered by the shields they had equipped. The bioweapon flapped its wings and almost lazily hopped over the army to levy down another burst of cold, freezing some of the Raiders solid. Like some giant cat herding mice into a dead end, the Warrior bounded from one side of the remaining Crimson Raiders to the other, chilling and freezing the surviving fighters.

As the bioweapon finished off the last of the Raiders, Handsome Jack approached Nadie who was frowning down at the Vault Key.

"Holy crap, babe, how did you do that?"

"You can have this back," she responded, pushing the Key into his hands. He took it, but a smile tugged at his lips.

"You sure? That was pretty badass."

"Yeah, I'm sure. That's yours. I don't want it." She shook her head firmly. Her clear aversion to holding onto the Vault Key any longer brought out his grin.

"I dunno, sweet cheeks, the next time we face down an army, I might just hand this to you and be done with it."

"No, I don't want it," she repeated.

"Not sure I'm giving you a choice… And as for you," Hyperion's president continued, looking sharply over at Alexander who winced. "What the hell was all that about not shooting Zer0 earlier?"

"My claptrap was about to go get himself killed," Alexander replied in explanation. A scowl twisted Handsome Jack's features.

"You chose a claptrap over me?"

"No, no!" the gun designer assured hurriedly. "I chose my wife over you! There _is_ a difference. A happy wife is a happy life and all that, right?"

Handsome Jack's eyes narrowed and he raised a finger like he was about to object, but then he paused and his gaze flickered to the Siren. He dropped his hand and let out a breath through his teeth.

"You get a pass this time," he finally stated and then turned on his heel and yelled, "Hey, bandits! You still alive?" Hyperion's president began making his way through the battlefield toward the blue haired Siren, Berserker, and bombardier. Seeing him coming, Lawson slowly closed the distance toward him, shouldering the minigun, while the Warrior settled down nearby until called upon once more. The white coloration faded out and shifted back to its normal warm yellow now that the Vault Key was once more in Handsome Jack's hands.

Alexander sighed in relief.

"Thank you for being there, Nadie," the gun designer said as Claptrap rolled up to them. "That conversation would have gone very differently if you hadn't been."

"Uh, you're welcome?" Nadie replied, her tone making it clear she didn't quite understand why he was thanking her. Alexander gave her a sidelong smirk.

"You still don't quite get the finer details of the power of being the girl in the relationship, huh?"

"Not really. I already got poked for missing the fact our six month anniversary is today."

"Nadie!" Alexander gasped in horror.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled and followed after Handsome Jack. Alexander watched her go and then reached up to tap his Echo. After a moment, he frowned.

"Oh, right, the EchoNet isn't working out here. Nadie! Can I go so I can call Gerty? You'll be ok, right?"

Nadie stopped and turned back to him.

"We could absolutely use you—"

"Ok, great, thanks! Love you! I'll tell Gerty you're thinking of her!" he interrupted cheerily and then quickly scampered away through the sand to get out of hearing range as fast as possible.

"Hey, who's Gerty?" Claptrap asked, swiftly following after him.

"Oh, you're going to love her!" Alexander cried out in glee as he hurriedly scooped the bot into his arms and sped up his pace. Nadie glowered at the pair as the distance grew.

"And now he's on _my_ shit list," the Siren growled. Knowing that particular battle was already lost, she sighed and continued on her way toward Handsome Jack.

As the president and Siren approached, the trio straightened defensively, their expressions making it clear they were not thrilled with Handsome Jack having the Vault Key once more. Maya looked worse for wear and she leaned heavily on Brick's arm, the latter of who looked a little beaten up and blood slowly trickled from several bullet wounds. Handsome Jack stopped a few feet away, but Nadie stepped past him and offered both injured fighters a hand. They exchanged a look, glanced at Hyperion's president behind her, and then took the offered palms with their own. Nadie's wings flared wide and Brick straightened while Maya let out a slow sigh.

"It's probably not a good sign I still hurt, is it?" the blue haired Siren questioned drolly.

"Yeah, the average person doesn't get back up after getting hit by a bullymong like that," Nadie replied with a twisted smile. She looked up at Brick. "How are you, big guy?"

"Ready to take on another army, thanks to you," he chuckled.

"Just so everyone knows," Tina interrupted, "I am fine as well, but Enrique has had a very rough day and needs his puppy nap." Behind her, the flaming skag looked up from licking his paw, huffed, and then went back to tending to his leg. Nadie frowned at the skag warily.

"He's hurt, isn't he?"

"Another skag caught him in the mess," Maya explained. The green haired Siren frowned.

"If I approach, will he bite me?"

"Really?" Handsome Jack asked behind her. "You're going to put their dog back together?"

"He _did_ help," she retorted. "And I like animals."

"Enrique, be nice," Maya warned as Nadie cautiously walked up to the flaming skag. Enrique tilted his head, but didn't move as the Siren kneeled down before him. She put a hand out to hover near the wounded leg and took a long breath.

"Bleh, I'm getting hungry," she grumbled and then her wings manifested once more. The skag waited until Nadie had stood and returned to Handsome Jack's side before he carefully placed his paw back on the ground. Finding it held his weight, he hopped up, bounded around a time or two, and then lunged down toward the heart of the battleground.

"Hey! Enrique!" Tina called and darted after him.

"Soft touch," Lawson stated behind Nadie's head. She shot him a look over her shoulder.

"Oh, shush, you."

"I thought you had to make physical contact with people to heal them?" Maya questioned. Nadie shook her head.

"No more than you have to for Phaselock. I just prefer to because it feels… I dunno, more natural? Which I know is a weird thing to say about a Siren power. But there was no way I was going to touch a flaming skag. I'm tired as it is. I don't need to have to heal him _and_ myself."

"We're almost done," Handsome Jack assured her, touching her arm. She looked back at him and smiled.

"I know."

"Speaking of this being done," Maya interjected, "what happens now?"

There was immediately a tense moment of silence as those who had a history waited for the other to say something offensive or condemning. Finally, Handsome Jack broke it.

"I don't know what you people are going to do, but I'm going to go in there and make sure this problem is taken care of once and for all."

Nadie glanced up at him.

"How do you propose we get in? Our explosives expert just ran…" She trailed off as he raised the Vault Key and grinned impishly.

"We can make our own entrance."

"Why don't we just bring the coliseum down then?"

"No way. I sent the Warrior to take out Sanctuary, and look at how many he missed. I'm doing this one personally." He turned on his heel and began making his way down the sand dune calling, "Warrior!" The bioweapon focused its gaze on him and shoved itself back to its feet.

"Well, this will be fun," Nadie stated with a sigh before she turned back to the two Vault Hunters. They were studying Hyperion's president as he walked away and then they looked at her.

"I'll follow behind shortly," Brick informed her. "I'm going to get Maya settled in somewhere out of the way."

"Hey, I'm not an invalid," Maya protested. "I just need to get off my feet for a few minutes. _We'll_ follow behind shortly," she stressed, turning back to Nadie, but the emphasis was clearly for the Berserker. "No promises as to what will happen after we deal with Moxxi, but we'll be your backup until then."

"Awesome. I know this hasn't been the best meeting we could have had, but thank you both." She glanced back and then lowered her voice confidentially. "From both of us, but please don't tell him I said that."

She made to turn so she could follow Handsome Jack, but Maya's voice stopped her.

"Take care," Maya wished her. "Moxxi's very smart and cunning. She knows you're coming."

"And she's had time to prepare, I know," the green haired Siren acknowledged. "Thank you for the warning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I apparently have to go murder my boyfriend's ex."


	24. Chapter 23

Author's Note: Welp, I didn't quite make the goal of finishing the story by the end of 2016... but we're almost there! Happy new year, everyone!

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"He does a good job making entrances," Nadie acknowledged as she walked down the Warrior's snout after Handsome Jack. The bioweapon had ripped a hole in the upper wall of the coliseum, allowing them access to the highest floor that offered a top-down view of the battle arena below. Lawson had gone in one of the ground floor side doors a few minutes prior, intending to do a sweep of the bottom level and flush anyone out or up.

"He is my best employee," Handsome Jack replied happily, pausing in the gloom of the walkway to let his eyes adjust. It was clear the corridor had only seen use recently; the hallway was dimly lit and dust had been disturbed by the passage of many pairs of feet. However, aside from the soft whine of the wind slipping in through the hole behind them and the deep throated rumble of the Warrior as it settled down in the sand once more to await further instructions, the walkway was silent.

"Are you sure she's going to be here still? I know I'd be long gone in her shoes."

Hyperion's president shook his head.

"She's going to want the last word. She hasn't run yet."

Mulling that over, Nadie walked to the big, dirty windows that rested at an angle, the base close to her feet and arcing away from her head so that she had ample view of the arena. The slant was so steep she almost could have laid on it to watch whatever happened below. A quick glance around revealed that not all the windows had survived intact.

"Man, this must have been quite the seating when gladiatorial matches were going," she observed. Handsome Jack snorted as he joined her.

"Nothing like getting to indulge the desire for a blood sport without being anywhere near the brawl," he retorted dryly. She glanced over at him with a smile.

"You really don't like arenas, do you?"

"I really don't like arenas," he agreed.

The Siren took a breath to ask and then froze when an odd sound caught her attention—a whoomph of something being shot at high velocity and the hiss of propulsion, a noise that ignited a burst of adrenaline through her and she lunged back to push him aside.

"Move!" she ordered even as the rocket slammed into the window and detonated in front of them. The glass shattered and the floor snapped and gave way, dropping Nadie several stories to the battle arena below. She slammed into the unforgiving ground, and bit her lip in an effort to not scream as she felt bones shatter and internal organs rupture.

"Babe!" Handsome Jack shouted from above. She hissed in pain, fighting to get control of herself before she answered.

"I'm ok!" she managed to gasp even as her wings burst off her back. She could feel warmth spread within her as her body healed itself, bones knitting together at inhuman speed.

"Moxxi!" Hyperion's president snapped, looking up and locking gazes with the buxom woman across the way. She and Azrae stood on the other side of the upper floor, staring back at him across the open air of the coliseum, the latter holding a rocket launcher in her hands. Moxxi blew him a kiss.

"Well, hello, sugar. Sorry to take the new girlfriend out of the picture."

"What the hell is all this about?" he demanded. Moxxi made a quick gesture to Azrae who split off away from her and began making her way down the hall, watching the Siren below. Handsome Jack spared her a glance, his fingers twitching in a desire to act, but he turned back to the greater danger, trusting Nadie's ability to keep herself out of trouble.

Moxxi laughed, her tone almost affectionate, but he knew her well enough to know it was false warmth.

"Oh, sugar, you should recognize the face of change and profit. You worked so hard to bring it about yourself."

"Yeah, I stare at it every morning in the mirror. What are _you_ doing?"

"Bringing this planet onto the galactic scene," she retorted, smiling that sweet smile that somehow conveyed an invitation while still expressing an air of superiority.

"What the hell do you think I've been doing?"

"You're establishing a base of operations for Hyperion here. As always, you aren't thinking big enough."

"Running one of the biggest companies from Pandora isn't thinking big enough?" he questioned dryly, crossing his arms over his chest, keeping Azrae in view out of the corner of his eye. She hadn't attacked the Siren below yet, but he figured it was just a matter of time.

"Oh, Jack," Moxxi purred, chuckling to herself, "it's exactly that mentality that limits you. Why be loyal to any one company when you can have them all?"

"What _are_ you going on about?"

She didn't answer—instead, she reached up and brushed her fingers across the inside of the window frame in front of her. A soft hum echoed through the halls and blue-tinged force fields of crackling electricity sprang up on either side of the section of the hall he was in as well as over the windows in front of him. Handsome Jack cursed and swiftly stepped up to the one before him, studying it intently.

"Torgue's designers figured fights might break out in the coliseum, so they made sure to install a segregation system to keep it from spreading," the buxom woman explained easily from across the way, putting a hand to her hip. "I wouldn't touch it if I were you, sugar. It'll give you quite the nasty shock."

"Damnit, Moxxi!" he swore and then tried firing one of his cannons at the field. Moxxi's full lips curled into a satisfied smile when the blast smashed into the electricity and then dissipated harmlessly.

"Now, now, such a temper," she commented with a throaty laugh. "You're missing the show. I should think you'd be most interested in the results." She gestured down to the arena below where the green haired Siren was woozily getting to her feet. "But then, I suppose you've always used them as tools, haven't you?" Moxxi continued. "I won't lie—I've always wanted to see a Siren battle in the Underdome. This place isn't as nice as my coliseum, but it's a starting point."

"What have you done?" he growled.

"I haven't done anything, sugar, but I think there's someone else who's taken exception to your companion."

Below, Nadie straightened, sucking in a breath through the pain. She had never made use of her power so much in such a short time before, and she could tell her body was starting to tire. Whether it was because her power was drying up, or whether her body could only handle so much forced repair, she had no idea—even as a Siren, she was granted no intuitive insight into the condition of being one. What she did know was that she was exhausted, hungry, and more than a little frustrated that they were still fighting.

"Nadie!"

The warning came from above her, but she didn't bother to look up; instead, she quickly took in her surroundings and just barely managed to dodge away from a stalker leaping out at her from behind a crate. It snarled at her and clambered up the side of one of the supports that held an upper floor aloft for a vantage point used when the arena saw gladiatorial matches. She took a shot at it with the modded SMG she had somehow managed to keep since the beginning of this fight, but the stalker dodged and vanished into cloak once more.

"You know you're just making it mad, right?" a female voice pointed out conversationally. Nadie looked over to see the brown haired Siren sitting on the top of a stack of large crates. A skag sat beside her, growling at the gunsmith.

"Hush," Asha ordered, and the beast's vocalized threat subsided.

"You know I don't really care, right?" Nadie retorted. "I like animals, but not so much I'll give up my life to them." She lifted her weapon and took aim, but low snarls from all around her made her hesitate as stalkers and skags came around crates and random debris. The green haired Siren eyed them warily.

"One on three dozen is sort of unfair odds," she said with a frown, glancing around at the entourage circling her. Asha shrugged.

"The Vault Hunters went into battle as one against many. They made it through just fine." She hopped down from her perch, swinging up a machinegun. "I guess they were just made of sterner stuff—Hey!"

Nadie didn't wait for Asha to finish her sentence. She dodged to the left and leapt over a skag who belatedly snapped at her feet. The moment her toes hit the ground, she took off for one of the piles of boxes stacked like some challenge for an athletic competitor. The howls went up behind her and she knew she was not getting through this unscathed. Encouraged by the hissing and snaps of teeth behind her, she jumped for a lip on the crates and hauled herself up. Skags, thankfully, were not good climbers, but the stalkers scrambled up after her. The moment she hit the top of the crates, she threw herself onto her back and whipped her gun around to fire on the creatures that lunged up over her. Two stalkers took shots to the chest and their bodies fell back, carried by velocity, but the other two split away and vanished back down toward the ground and into cloak once more.

"You can't win against an army like this," Asha informed her. A corner of Nadie's lips quirked. It was such a cliché bad guy line.

"I dunno, I've got a lot of bullets," the gunsmith retorted as she sat back up. Asha shot a burst at her the moment she spotted Nadie, and the green haired Siren squeaked and dropped back again.

"I've got a lot of friends with teeth," Asha retorted with a dark laugh.

Suddenly, the ground of the arena started to shake and crack. A blunt nose broke through the packed soil as a thresher surfaced, letting out its odd, deep roar. It bent down and gently opened its mouth, bringing one of its tentacles up beside its jaw, and Maya stepped out, using the offered appendage for support.

"Funny," she drawled, "I was about to say the same thing." She hopped down carefully and patted the thresher beneath an eye. "Eat well."

The beast roared again and dove back into the dirt once more, its passage disturbing the topsoil as it headed straight for the nearest skag pack who howled in challenge and fear.

"Maya!" Asha snapped, immediately setting her sights on the blue haired Siren.

"Welcome back!" Nadie greeted from above, popping up over the edge once more.

"I told you I only needed a few minutes to rest my feet," Maya said with a dry chuckle, dodging behind a nearby crate as Asha opened fire.

"Where's Brick?" Nadie asked.

"I dunno. Around."

"Fat lot of good that does us now!"

"Enough! Go!" Asha screamed at the beasts near her and pointed at the crate Nadie sat upon. Half a dozen stalkers lunged out of cloak or from around boxes and began climbing up toward the green haired Siren.

"Uh oh," Nadie stated worriedly and scrambled to her feet.

"You!" Asha snarled, spinning on the former Vault Hunter. Maya scowled.

"Jealousy has made you ugly, Asha," the blue haired Siren observed coldly. Asha's lips thinned.

"I don't think you're one to talk about being ugly. You look like a walking freak show!" Asha snapped back, firing at her counterpart.

"Now, now, girls! Play nice!" Nadie shouted from her perch even as she dodged back from the stalkers swiping at her.

"Stay out of this!" both Maya and Asha yelled simultaneously at her.

"Grumpy…" the gunsmith muttered to herself, careful to keep her volume down as she fired on another stalker clambering up toward her.

Suddenly, she was hit from behind and went toppling over the edge, a hiss coming from right behind her ear. She twisted her body mid-fall so she would land on the stalker, and the animal gave out an audible gasp of breath as her weight smashed it into the ground. The Siren was immediately on her feet and she put two shots into its head before it gathered enough of its senses to disappear once more.

"Nadie!" a male voice called. The Siren looked up sharply to see her father outside the arena, watching her fight in concern.

"Jack!" she ordered, pointing upward. Lawson's good eye narrowed, but Nadie shook her head.

"Go! I'll be fine!" She spun and shot a stalker midair. Its body abruptly vanished before touching the ground as the thresher exploded up from below and chomped down on the carcass before disappearing beneath the soil once more. The moment she was sure there wasn't a stalker immediately about to attack her, she glanced at her father again, but the sheriff had already taken off for the stairs.

"Good," the green haired Siren grumbled. "Thought we were going to have a real problem."

Taking advantage of the chaos of animals fighting one another, Nadie dove into the fray even as Asha and Maya screamed conflicting orders back and forth to the beasts around them.

Up above, Moxxi frowned irritably.

"This not going according to plan, huh?" Handsome Jack needled the buxom woman. "Didn't think I had _two_ Sirens on my side, did you?"

"I would have never in a thousand years thought Maya would ever ally herself with you," Moxxi replied, her tone dripping with venom, all niceties banished.

"Eh, you'll have to thank my girlfriend for that. Maya would likely never have otherwise."

Moxxi's eyes narrowed at the green haired Siren below.

"I do not like her."

"Hear that, sweet cheeks?" he shouted down to Nadie. "Mox doesn't like you!"

Nadie craned her head up toward him and shot him a toothy grin.

"Good! Because I'm going to murder her, so that works just fine for me!"

"Fantastic! I'm glad we got that—skag, skag, skag!" he hollered down to her in warning. She immediately turned her attention to the incoming beast and dodged out of the way, firing at it. It howled at her before getting tackled by a hissing stalker.

"I am so tired of getting attacked by animals!" Nadie snapped angrily.

"I'm tired of dealing with bandits," Handsome Jack retorted. "But don't worry, babe, this is almost over."

She laughed brightly.

"Funny, I was about to assure you of the same thing!"

Moxxi let out a sound that was halfway between a groan of disgust and a growl of irritation.

"Azrae, shoot her."

"Not a problem," the engineer responded and shouldered the rocket launcher once more.

"Oh, come on!" Nadie shouted from below. "You're just bitter because he dumped you!"

 _"Now!"_ Moxxi howled. Azrae fired and the Siren dodged under one of the propped up floors. The rocket detonated above her, and the moment the echo of the explosion died out, she cackled delightedly and stuck her head back out from behind her makeshift shield.

"I was right! He _did_ dump you!"

Above, the buxom woman leaned out over the arena slightly, wrapping a hand around the edge of the windowless frame, and the smile that curled her lips was cruel rather than kind.

"Now, now, sugar, there's no need to take your insecurities out on me. I know I had him first, but I'm sure your… sparkling personality will win him over," Moxxi purred, her tone cold. The wicked humor in Nadie's face vanished as her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned.

"Well, as he threw you over, we know hussy isn't his type," the Siren countered sharply. "You may look the polished diamond, but you're just as worthless as costume glass."

Moxxi's smile widened, but her grip on the frame was making her knuckles go white.

"Oh, sweetie, it's blindingly apparent that you don't have anything resembling taste. I mean, goodness. That hair? Those clothes? Grace and class are clearly not qualities you're familiar with."

Nadie growled angrily, shifting her weight into a more aggressive stance. Azrae, who had set the rocket launcher down to watch the back and forth, glanced over through the force field at Handsome Jack. The masked man had crossed his arms over his chest and was smiling as he enjoyed the repartee.

"Are you going to intercede or something?" the engineer inquired. He looked over at her and gave out a slight chuckle.

"No way. I know better. That'd be the equivalent of stepping into a minefield. Besides, I've never seen Nadie this revved up."

"Suit yourself," Azrae responded and shouldered the rocket launcher once more. "I figured you'd like to say a few last words to your girlfriend. But it doesn't matter to me."

"Now wait a minute!" he protested angrily. Azrae ignored him and took aim at the distracted Siren when the sound of a hammer cocking back just behind her ear echoed dully. She froze and then very slowly turned and looked up the barrel of a Jacobs revolver.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to kill my daughter," Lawson stated softly, but there was an edge in his voice. "It tends not to be a wise life choice. For several reasons. I'd also like it if you'd just nod and keep your mouth shut."

Azrae nodded silently, her gaze flickering to Moxxi, trying to will her counterpart to glance up and see her situation, but the other woman was completely engrossed in antagonizing the Siren below.

Meanwhile, Maya and Asha were playing an odd and dangerous game of metaphorical keep away. The thresher had switched hands several times throughout the struggle, but Maya had finally won out. The beast roared in triumph as it swallowed the last of the skags.

"That's it, Asha!" Maya called. "That's the last of your animals here!"

Suddenly, one of the side walls of the building detonated with such a force that the debris shattered the barrier around the arena, letting light spill in and silhouette two individuals as they stepped into the coliseum. The hum of electricity given off by the force fields around Handsome Jack died abruptly, some interruption cutting the power flow, and the barricades vanished.

"Yahtzee," he said to himself, grinning.

A cheery voice yelled out from one of the duo down below.

"Prepare for the team!

"You'll fear in your dream!

"To protect this place we call home!

"And keep the people safe to roam!

"To battle through day and night!

"To finally prove that might makes right!

"Tina and Brick!

"Here to settle this quick!"

Tiny Tina promptly posed triumphantly, one hand raised high like she was making some illustrious point. There was a moment of silence in which all eyes, including Brick's, went to her.

"Where in the world did you come up with that?" Brick demanded. Tina shrugged impishly.

"It's based off an intro from a couple of characters in the Echo show 'Satchel Critters.' They follow the main character around and try to steal his—"

"Never mind," the big Vault Hunter cut in. "I don't want to know."

"It's over, Asha," Maya firmly informed the other Siren, turning back to her, the thresher slipping back into the depths of the soil. "You're outnumbered and you've got nothing left."

Asha gritted her teeth, waiting for the beast to depart.

"Not nothing," she retorted grimly once it was gone. "You missed one. Now!" Her Siren markings flared as power flowed into her command.

Maya spun around in time to see a stalker hissing as it leapt at her. The blue haired Siren threw her arm up, her tattoos glowing bright blue as her power enveloped the errant animal, locking it within a fold in space and time. Maya glared at Asha.

" _Now_ —oof!" the blue haired woman gasped as she was bowled over by a second stalker almost as large as her. She slammed into the ground, her weapon knocked from her hands, the beast landing atop her, snapping at her face.

"Oh, did I say one?" Asha purred unkindly. "I meant two. You know how damned hard these guys are to count."

"Maya!" Brick and Tina shouted simultaneously and scrambled to close the distance. Nadie's gaze whipped to her companion Siren and she swore, diving toward her even as the blue haired woman struggled with the beast to keep its teeth and claws away from her.

"Stop them!" Moxxi snapped, her attention all for the struggle below. Azrae hesitated only a moment before she made her decision—she swiftly shouldered the rocket launcher and fired, hitting on oil barrel nestled between two others. The barrels exploded into shrapnel and burning oil, splattering across the battleground, causing the trio coming to the downed Siren's aid to dodge back. Azrae had a bare moment to hope that the one last action would be enough to help Moxxi when Lawson's revolver fired. The boom of the shot was enough to draw the buxom woman's notice to across the way and her face twisted as she saw her engineer fall.

"Azrae!" she cried out. Lawson fixed one cold eye on her and took aim with the revolver, firing a single, decisive shot. Moxxi dodged back behind the window frame and the bullet smashed into the back wall. The sheriff didn't bother with quick one liners or snarky commentary—he just cocked the hammer back to ready another shot. The buxom woman, however, knew when the party was over and she had long overstayed her welcome.

Moxxi turned and fled.

"Oh, hell no!" Handsome Jack spat and took off after her. Lawson hesitated before following Hyperion's president; instead, he hurried to the open window to check on his daughter's wellbeing.

Of the trio exposed to the explosion, Nadie was the first to recover. She dove through the burning pitch, hissing as it scalded her skin. Asha looked up from watching Maya struggle and saw the Siren bearing down on them. The brown haired woman took aim with her machinegun, the weapon spitting out a short burst as she pulled the trigger, and between the burning oil, the smoke, and pure exhaustion, Nadie took most of the bullets to the upper right side of her chest. Her wings flared wide immediately, but she stumbled with the force of the shots' impact. As she reeled, Asha turned the muzzle on Brick and Tina who lurched to a stop.

"Asha, get out of the way!" Brick roared in fury. Asha's eyes narrowed.

"Not this time, big man. Stop fooling around!" she yelled behind her at the stalker wrestling with Maya.

"Get—!" the blue haired Siren began to order in a strained voice, but the stalker let out a snarling hiss and lunged down between her hands and dug its teeth into her throat. Maya's words were cut off with a strangled scream.

"Maya!" Nadie cried and called upon her Siren power, willing it to force her counterpart's body to heal. However, her power moved sluggishly at her call, barely welling up within her, and simply trying to ignite Phasemend made her head spin and her vision blur. As the green haired Siren visibly wobbled, Brick howled and charged Asha, intending to ram through her as necessary to get to his companion Vault Hunter whose struggling was weakening. Above, Lawson took aim at the stalker, but the tangle of limbs made him hesitate for fear of hitting Maya and ending any chance of saving her. He turned his focus to Asha, burying a bullet in her shoulder as she dodged out of the way of Brick while unloading the rest of her magazine into his broad chest. Behind him, Tiny Tina scrambled past the Berserker and dashed by the gunsmith who was unsteadily getting to her feet, the young woman racing for Maya as fast as she could. The blue haired Siren, unaware of the events transpiring, managed to shove the stalker away long enough to utter a weak call of, "Help!" Her markings flared blue, but green and gold blazed at the edges.

A thundering roar shook the air as the thresher surfaced once more, tendrils flailing wildly. The stalker atop Maya snapped its head up and hissed angrily at the thresher, but it wouldn't allow the rival carnivore to steal its prey—it turned its attention once more to the Siren beneath it and dug its sharp teeth into her throat again, tightening its jaw until bones snapped. Tina shrieked in horror as she watched the Siren's struggles cease and her body twitch under the stalker. The girl's yell twisted midway into some mix of grief and rage and she threw a grenade at the beast which affixed onto its hide and detonated, ripping one of its wings clean off.

Like the loss of the one string that had been holding some grand tapestry together, Maya's last breath heralded a magnitude of chaos. The thresher howled and dove into the ground, reemerging between Asha and Brick, attacking the big Vault Hunter mindlessly. Tina dropped down to Maya, kicking away the spasming stalker, and watched with tears in her eyes as the Siren markings faded and disappeared. The arced tattoo over Maya's heart dissipated last, and when it did, there was a bright flash of green and gold light as an orb manifested above the floor near her body. The artifact was a sphere of approximately three feet in diameter, pale gold in color with glowing purple Eridian script across its surface. It hovered over the ground by a few inches, levitating with some internal power, and rotated slowly. Asha's eyes widened the moment she saw it.

"The Heart!" she shrieked in triumph and dove passed the thresher and Brick, the latter of who attempted to snatch at the Siren as she lunged by. Asha dodged his grip at the last moment and the thresher tangled one of its tendrils around his arm, yanking him back toward it while Brick roared his protest.

The brown haired Siren stumbled to a stop before the Heart when she found herself looking at her prize in Tina's hands. The girl glared at the taller woman, bobbing the artifact lightly in between her palms like it weighed nothing.

"Tina," Asha began softly, a hand dropping very slowly to her gun. "Give it to me."

"You killed her," Tina retorted lowly, her voice a growl, choked with emotion.

"It couldn't be separated from her while alive, Tina," the Siren responded, her voice rising in volume.

"So you killed her for it?!"

"None of you get what it is!" Asha snapped. "Maya couldn't begin to use it to its full power. Give it to me!"

"That way more innocents can die?" Nadie demanded, stepping over the arrayed bodies of beasts, skag and stalker alike.

"You're still alive?" Asha sneered. She looked between the two women, both of who stared back at her defiantly. The Siren frowned.

"I have no quarrel with you, Tina. I didn't want it to end this way. Kill!"

The moment the word left her mouth, her luminescent wings spread wide, the thresher roared and released its grip on Brick, diving into the soil toward them, and a resounding boom echoed from above as Asha took a bullet to the chest. She screamed and tottered back as the thresher exploded out of the ground before Tina. The young woman squeaked.

"Brick!?"

"Give it to her!" he shouted back as he fought to stay on his feet, his shoulders heaving. Though no specifics were given, Tina spun on her heel and threw the artifact at the green haired Siren who yelped in surprise and dove to catch it.

"No!" Asha screamed. "Get her!"

The thresher roared and lunged for the other Siren.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Nadie swore repeatedly, struggling to get a grip on the Heart. With the thresher barreling down on her, she didn't bother to try figuring out any tricks or codes with the artifact—she brute forced her power to ignite and flow into the object. The Heart responded to her power immediately; the Eridian text began to glow brightly and then the sphere started to melt into and across her hands, climbing up her left arm and pouring into her Siren markings like water disappearing into sand. Power, hot and almost painful, rushed through her veins, akin to what Eridian ore had felt like, but sharp and ancient, almost sentient in its potency. No word came from Nadie's lips, no cry or call, but she could feel her plea for assistance go out, and very nearby, dangerously so, something answered.

The thresher was slammed away from the women by something big and invisible. The serpent like beast shook its head and tried to reorient itself, but teeth and talon wounds appeared across its body, slicing through its skin. The thresher howled and dove back into the dirt, retreating from its unseen assailant. A heartbeat passed and then a stalker the size of truck shifted into view, glowing eyes fixed on the green haired Siren. It made no sound, uttered no hiss or growl, and it just stared at Nadie in eerie silence.

Asha took advantage of the stunned quiet.

"Eat her!" the brown haired Siren demanded, her tattoos glowing as her power laced through the order. The gigantic stalker slowly turned its attention away from Nadie and looked at Asha for a moment. Then, it hissed at her and vanished from view once more. There was a tense few heartbeats where everyone waited for it to attack someone, but then they heard the sound of claws on stone and small chunks of masonry fell as the stalker apparently climbed up and out of the coliseum.

"What the hell?!" Asha burst out angrily, spinning on Nadie. "No! No! There is no way you can use the Heart this quickly! You have no idea what you have!" She coughed abruptly, blood beginning to creep out between her lips, and one of her hands went to the bullet wound in her chest.

"You'll never be able to use it fully!" the brown haired Siren continued in a wheezed growl. "It was meant for me! No one else understands it the way I do, no one will ever command it the way I could! No one else knows as much about it as I do, has worked as hard as I have—"

Asha was cut off suddenly as a bullet pierced her skull. Nadie dropped her SMG back to her side and growled.

"Bitch, I've been looking for this thing since I was six!"

Not bothering to watch the fallen woman's Siren markings fade, Nadie turned away, swaying on her feet as the power of the Heart dissipated. She found herself looking at Tina who was staring down at Maya's body mournfully.

"Tina, I…" the green haired Siren began slowly. The young woman looked up at her with tears in her eyes and then turned and fled the battlefield.

"Let her go," Brick ordered as he trudged his way over to her. "She's lost a lot of people close to her. And she's still got explosives. I'd like to not be near her right now."

"Brick, I'm sorry," Nadie apologized softly. "I honestly tried…"

"It is what it is," he replied brusquely, but not unkindly. "It isn't good, but it just is."

Nadie reached out and touched his shoulder. She took a deep breath and called on her Siren power once more. The world swam before her eyes, and when it finally cleared, she was leaning heavily on Brick's arm. His wounds had mostly sealed shut, though a few still oozed blood sluggishly.

"I'll be fine," he informed her, responding to the concern that flashed across her face, "but I'm not so sure about you."

"I think I just need a minute…" the Siren began, but then a moment of realization struck her.

"Jack!" She looked up sharply, trying to see if he was still on the level above.

"He went after the woman," came her father's voice from the upper floor.

"And you didn't go after him?" she demanded. Even with the distance between them, she heard Lawson's snort.

"I have my priorities."

"Well, they've changed! Get after him!"

A dry, "You're the boss," wafted down from the viewing ring and she knew her father had started after Hyperion's president. Brick eyed the Siren as he carefully let her go to stand on her own two feet.

"Mox inevitably has contingency plans, and this place is built like a labyrinth. I'd best go another route, see if I can catch her before she goes MIA."

"If you find Jack first, please don't punch him," Nadie entreated as she leaned heavily against one of the crates. The big Vault Hunter huffed.

"No promises, but I hear ya. We have priorities."

"I'll follow along shortly."

"You do what you need to, little girl."

Brick turned then and headed for one of the hallways that led into the depths of the coliseum. Once he was out of sight, Nadie sighed, exhausted to her bones, and shook her head as she looked over Maya's body.

"I know I said there'd be more needless death by the end of the day, but damnit, I hadn't meant you."


	25. Chapter 24

Handsome Jack had discovered that the back halls were laid out like some non-Euclidean maze. The walkways were dimly lit, and the halls seemed to curve gently left and right at random intervals. For a woman in heels and a dress, Moxxi was fast at navigating the shadowy paths, but Handsome Jack was angry and determined. He managed to keep her just barely in sight, but she somehow stayed just out of clear line of fire.

The hall he was racing down abruptly ended at a doorway which led into a large room, possibly intended for storage, or perhaps the indulgence of other, less reputable acts. Hyperion's president certainly wouldn't put it passed the typical visitor to this kind of establishment to enjoy other taboo entertainment. Moxxi was waiting for him with a pistol aimed calmly toward the door, and the moment he came into view, she fired. A shield immediately surrounded him, deflecting the bullet, as the Vault Key floated up to hover behind his left shoulder, the Eridian markings glowing. Moxxi swore softly as Handsome Jack entered the room, crossing his arms over his chest, emboldened by the power of his artifact.

"Knock it off, Mox," he ordered. "You know this is over. This is the third time you've tried to kill me."

"And you don't have the good sense to stay down!" she pouted, curling her lips into a flirtatious sulk, brushing her hand down her hips suggestively. "Don't you know it's good manners to make sure a lady's satisfied? Never a good plan for the future to leave things half done, and I don't plan on making your mistake. C'mon down, boys!"

From some upper shelves, two metallic boxes painted in a deep blue shuddered and then dropped to the floor as they unfurled into tall, blocky robots. Handsome Jack frowned.

"Those look awfully familiar…"

"Meet my Innuendobots," Moxxi said by way of introduction, swinging a hand wide at the two retrofitted loaders.

"Ah, still stealing my things and covering them in filth, eh?" he retorted, grimacing in disgust.

"We are Innuendobots 6068 and 6069," one informed him in an electronic voice, laced heavily with what a thing that didn't have hormones or a sex drive might consider to be suggestive. "Our unique identification codes are B1U3B4115-1 and -2."

The second interrupted the first excitedly, saying, "And we are here to pound you."

"And slam you," the first added cheerily.

"And pin you down!"

"Moxxi, what the hell did you do to my loaders?" the masked man demanded irritably.

"Just gave them a dose of personality and a little desire for some rough love," she explained with a coy wink. "These boys have been aching for a little action for a while now. I'm sure you'll satisfy their needs. Have fun, sugar!" She blew him a kiss and then started for the door.

"Damnit, Mox!" he swore, and he swung one of his cannons up, firing an overcharged blast at the departing woman. The burst of light smashed into the door and detonated it, inciting a yelp of protest from Moxxi. The moment her eyes cleared, she dashed out the door and Handsome Jack started after her, but the repurposed loaders interceded, closing the distance.

"You cannot leave yet," one began.

"We are pining for your attentions," the other continued.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Handsome Jack growled and took aim, his other cannon beginning to hum as it charged up.

She hadn't bothered to retrofit the loaders much aside from paint them and give them their altered personality. The robots still moved with the same jerky speed and had the standard weapon loadout he was familiar with, and thus he was able to stay one step ahead of his assailants with little difficulty. However, Nadie's enhancement of his cannons hadn't added any corrosive effect to them, which meant the machines shrugged off most of the blasts smashed into them. With the Vault Key actively maintaining the shield around him, he wasn't concerned about his own life and limb—the fear Moxxi might vanish into the wastes to emerge as a thorn in his side at a later date was his whole focus.

"We enjoy taking a pounding," one of the loaders informed him in a monotone voice that had an odd lilt in it as it attempted to sound seductive, "but we'd prefer to be giving it as opposed to taking it."

"Too rough, too rough!" the other protested as something snapped in the wiring down one of its arms. The limb fell and hung uselessly at its side.

"Safe word requested!" it exclaimed in protest.

"How about go fuck yourself!" Handsome Jack retorted angrily, taking aim and firing at one of the nerve cores tucked in the unarmored spine of the bot.

The wounded loader let out a disappointed buzz.

"That seems an ill-advised safe word—" it declared before there was a small discharge of electricity and its voice became crackling white noise.

"Rrrrgh," Hyperion's president growled. "Why did I ever date that woman?!"

Said woman was rapidly descending the stairwell away from certain death, but her steps were slowing down and her breathing was becoming labored from more than just the physical exertion. She got to the floor her office was on and had to stop to lean against the wall, one hand going to her side where agony streaked through her veins. When she pulled it away, blood coated her palm. A frown that was almost more irritation than true fear curled her lips—one of the shards of the door had ripped into her skin and lodged itself deep in her side from the force of its detonation. Once she made it to her office, she could make ample use of the Anshin Rejuvenate syringes she had stashed away, but the few dozen yards were becoming a daunting prospect as the world began to spin.

Carefully putting one foot in front of the other, Moxxi gritted her teeth as she tried to ignore her swimming vision. She was not about to allow all her hard work to be obliterated by a strike of fate's whimsy; there was no way she'd give her psychotic ex-boyfriend that pleasure. All it would take would be just one… more… step…

The floor abruptly bucked beneath her feet and she stumbled, slumping heavily against the hallway's wall. Cursing Handsome Jack, the Vault Hunters, and her damnable heels, the buxom woman slid down to the floor, the one hand cradling her wounded side now soaked in blood.

Even with her pounding head, Moxxi heard the footsteps coming down the hall, heavy and unhurried. She hissed softly and looked up, preparing herself for the inevitable. The sight that greeted her, however, was not one she would have ever expected.

"Brick?!" Moxxi questioned in astonishment. The big man grunted and walked up to her before kneeling down to meet her gaze.

"Hey, Mox."

"I thought I killed you," she said softly, and she could feel more than just tears of pain welling up in her eyes. She fought them back and managed a frown of mild irritation. "That hadn't been part of my plan."

"Ah, Mox, you know I'm more durable than that," Brick retorted gently. Moxxi coughed, a bit of blood gathering at the corner of her lips, but she gave him a crooked smile.

"I thought I had been unfortunately thorough." She closed her eyes for a moment and then focused on him again.

"It isn't too late, Brick," she began. "Not everything's lost yet. It damn sure went pear-shaped, but I— _we_ —can still come out on top. I know, you're probably miffed about our last run in—"

"Understatement," Brick broke in. Moxxi continued as if he hadn't interrupted.

"But trust me, sugar, filling you with lead was the last thing I wanted to do. I need a champion, Brick, and no one is more qualified than you." She had dispensed with all pretenses at flirtation and leaned forward, touching his chest with an unsteady hand. "You would have all the money and battles you could ever dream of. Don't let him win. Give a girl a hand and let's make him regret he ever picked this fight."

He took her hand and squeezed it gently even as they heard swift footsteps echoing down the stairwell nearby toward them.

"Brick," she pleaded, real fear coloring her voice. He gave her a tight smile.

"Sorry, Mox," he apologized as he released her hand and stood. "But I'd rather get shot by the gun I can see then the one I trusted at my back."

"Brick!" she protested sharply. He turned and stalked down the corridor away from her, disappearing from view just as the landing door slammed open and Handsome Jack entered the hallway. The lovers turned enemies met each other's gazes for a moment, the hatred between them almost palpable, and then Handsome Jack gave her a sardonic smirk.

"Really, Mox? Trying to give me blue balls? And you were the one going on about being thorough!"

The buxom woman leaned back against the wall nonchalantly, though the effect was slightly ruined by the wince of pain that flickered across her face.

"What can I say, sugar? You think far less clearly when you're frustrated."

"And I have no doubt you'd use that to your advantage." He walked toward her easily, closing the distance, and came to a stop before her, aiming one of his cannons at her. She glowered up at him angrily, her expression silently blaming him for everything that had gone wrong.

"Now what?" she demanded. "Are you going to interrogate me as to what I'm up to? Why I turned on my own allies? Or are you going to make me beg for my life?" She snorted in disgust. His smile was gentle and condescending.

"Oh, Mox, I have no interest in demeaning you or watching you beg. I'm not that kind of guy. And frankly, while I'll admit to some curiosity as to what the hell you're up to, I'm really not that interested. I'm just going to kill you and finally close this unfortunate chapter of my life for good."

Moxxi's eyes narrowed and her lips thinned.

"You've changed… I don't think I like it."

"And I don't think I give a shit," he retorted and fired once.

As the echo of the blast died away, Lawson came round into the hall, the heavy revolver naked in his hand. He took in the sight of Handsome Jack standing over Moxxi's body and grunted once.

"Good." So said, he turned and headed into the room that had been Moxxi's office. Hyperion's president frowned irritably at the abrupt dismissal.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, starting to follow Lawson, but then he paused, turned back toward Moxxi's body, and shot an overcharged blast at it. With the awful smell of burning flesh and hair permeating the air, he turned to follow the bullymong in a coat and hat into the office.

"I was looking for her," Lawson replied. "Seems like you took care of it." The sheriff stopped at the paper-strewn desk and peered over it for clues. A frown of distaste curled his lips and he used the muzzle of his gun to push aside a delicate pair of undergarments from atop a manila folder.

"Yup," Handsome Jack sighed. "She was a classy lady."

Lawson tilted his face enough to give the other man a deadpan look. Hyperion's president let out a puff of disapproval.

"Look, I dated her for something like a minute, all right? It was probably one of my worst mistakes."

"I don't know what she sees in you," Lawson stated bluntly, clearly not referring to Moxxi.

"Nadie has excellent tastes and can see how awesome I am," Handsome Jack responded primly. The sheriff snorted, but let the retort stand without making any further comment as the two men began exploring the now ownerless room.

/

/

Nadie hadn't realized quite how worried about her errant gentlemen she was until Handsome Jack and Lawson emerged from one of the halls back into the arena proper. She had intended to follow after them much earlier, but the first few times she tried to move, the world had spun alarmingly. By the time she was capable of standing on her own two feet, several of the animals that had participated in the battle outside had begun creeping in to see what events had transpired. The Siren quickly had to learn how to explain the state of things to a varying set of creatures with vastly different intellects, and juggling their attentions consumed more time than she would have liked. For the most part, the fauna of Pandora just accepted Maya's loss and Nadie's new ability to speak to them, flitting back out into the world to resume their normal life at the green haired Siren's dismissal. However, when Enrique appeared in the hole in the wall and padded in cautiously, Nadie figured there might be some trouble.

The flaming skag snuffled across the ground until he noticed her and then huffed once in greeting. His attention was swiftly caught by Maya's body and he trotted over to it rapidly. Nadie had moved the fallen woman's body, now devoid of its Siren markings, onto one of the crates so it was off the ground. Enrique pawed at the base of the crate and whined when there was no movement or sound in response.

"Sorry, Enrique," Nadie apologized, wondering how the skag was going to take the news. "She's dead."

The skag turned to regard the green haired Siren.

"Hunt no more?" he asked, and maybe it was an effect of the Heart's translation, or maybe it was genuine, but the skag's question sounded mournful.

"She hunts no more," Nadie replied gently. Enrique stared at the crate with the body upon it and then tipped his head back and let out a deep howl. The call echoed out, and in the distance, Nadie heard other skag voices join in. It lasted for several long moments, and then Enrique's yowl tapered off as a low rumble sounded from his throat softly.

"Sad."

"It is," she agreed. The skag bowed his head for a moment and then turned to look at the Siren once more.

"Can eat?"

"What? No, you can't eat her!" Nadie frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Enrique huffed disapprovingly.

"Keep part of pack," he explained slowly, as if to a child. "Taken by pack, stay with pack."

Nadie blinked in surprise as she realized she was being chastised for not understanding skag funerary rites.

"She needs to stay with her pack here," the Siren told him. "This pack does things differently."

The bull skag made a noise suspiciously like a snort of displeasure.

"Pack stupid," he grumbled, but he ultimately turned and lopped out of the arena back into the sand and sun. He had just disappeared out of sight when Handsome Jack and Lawson returned.

"Are you all right?" she asked immediately, glancing them over. Her father gave her the look that meant she was being overly anxious, but Hyperion's president flashed her a quick smile.

"We're fine. Figured out what the bint was up to, though."

"Oh?"

He handed her a manila folder. She flipped it open and gave the contents a swift read-through.

"She certainly loved her coliseums, didn't she?" the Siren questioned with a slight smirk.

"More than that," Handsome Jack replied. "She planned to build multiple arenas across Pandora and then use them as hybrid training ground meets entertainment."

Nadie frowned at the masked man in confusion.

"She was planning to air the battles on the EchoNet and take bets," Lawson explained.

"Oooh."

Handsome Jack continued, "Apparently, the plan was then to take the winners of each of the arenas, forge them into a trained unit, and then construct a mercenary team that would go to the highest bidder. Naturally, most of the gun companies were interested in making donations to secure a number of entries into these 'elite' training programs. Even if they didn't get the final team, for every one they placed in the program that made it to the end, they'd get a cut of the final profit."

"Really?"

"Yup. There were a lot of big names involved: Torgue, Tediore, Vladof… The list goes on," he replied. "Including a contribution from a Hyperion bank account, so that's some fun I'm going to get to deal with…"

"But this, all of this, is finally done?" the green haired Siren asked, gesturing vaguely to everything around them. Handsome Jack nodded.

"Just about."

"So what happens now?" a deep voice rumbled from the hole in the outside wall. The trio looked over to see Brick and Tiny Tina reenter the coliseum through the entrance they had made not so long ago. Nadie looked at Handsome Jack who stared at the two with narrowed eyes. A tense moment passed and then he frowned, more in slight annoyance than true aggression or irritation.

"Get off my planet," he ordered. "I'll even have a shuttle ready in an hour to take you wherever the hell you want, as long as it's out of this system."

"There are still a few loose ends," Brick pointed out in a growl. "What about Maya's body? We should be able to do last rites and take care of it."

Tina shifted beside him, the duo on guard, waiting for the situation to explode into violence. The masked man stared at them intently for a minute and then let out breath through his teeth.

"Three days," Handsome Jack acceded. "Not a minute more. And you can bet your ass I'm going to be there to watch you go."

"And what about Tanis?" Tiny Tina pointed out.

"She won't want to leave," Brick added, "and I ain't about to let you kill her now."

Nadie glanced over at Hyperion's president as he stiffened, riled by the tone in the Vault Hunter's voice.

"We could keep her at Erikeep," she offered hurriedly. There was a moment of silence as everyone turned to look at her.

"You want me to leave that woman here?" Handsome Jack demanded.

"Well, look at it this way—her entire focus and career are going to make her want to stay on Pandora. If we try to force her to leave, she's probably going to fight it or escape into the wilds somewhere. If we keep her in Erikeep, she and Pops can entertain each other, they can keep up with their Eridian study, which would give us first access to anything they discover, and Dad would keep an eye on her."

Lawson gave Nadie a flat look.

"I ain't a babysitter," he informed her firmly. His daughter gave him a winning smile.

"Sure you are—a babysitter with a gun! The best kind!"

The sheriff grunted once but didn't protest further, which to Nadie meant she had won that particular argument.

"Fine," Hyperion's president sighed. "Relocate the scientist, they get three days. Now." He turned to address Nadie. "I'm tired and I'm hungry. Do you think that goddess of the kitchen you have hiding in your little town would cook us something?"

The green haired Siren gave him a small smile.

"I have no doubt she would."

/

/

Nadie chuckled lightly at her lover as he kept pace beside her.

"You really don't need to come with me," she assured Handsome Jack. "I know Brick and Tina aren't exactly your favorite people in the world."

"I said I was going to be here to watch those bandits get off my planet and I meant it," he retorted. "Besides, I'm afraid that mass of muscle is going to try and kidnap you."

She started laughing.

"That would be pretty funny to watch. But you don't need to worry." She leaned over and patted her father's shoulder from where he walked behind them. "Dad's with me. He isn't about to let any funny business happen. You can trust us to see this through."

"It's not a matter of trust, babe," Handsome Jack replied. "That brute has been a thorn in my side for years. I want the pleasure of watching him leave."

The grin of greeting faded off Brick's face when he spotted the president's accompaniment of the Siren. He huffed and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Had to bring the psycho?" he asked with a frown.

"I wanted to watch you get the hell of my planet," the masked man retorted. "Also, not a psycho."

Nadie touched her lover's shoulder gently and he glanced over at her. There was a shared moment and then he sighed, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. Nadie smiled at the false irritation and then turned back to the big Vault Hunter.

"I wanted to make sure I was here to say goodbye. He wanted to make sure you didn't try to abduct me."

A corner of Brick's lips curled.

"Did think about it," he admitted in amusement. Nadie blinked in surprise and then grinned.

"I'm not sure I'd do well in space. I'll stay here, thanks." She glanced around. "Where's Tina?"

Brick looked over his shoulder as he responded, "She should be here any minute."

"It's a long way," came a singsong voice, "to Tipperary, to the sweetest girl I know…"

Tiny Tina came around the corner of the building, dragging a large bag behind her.

"What in the world is that?" the Siren questioned. Tina smiled vaguely.

"As many of my good associates as I could bring," she said. "Plus all my books for Bunkers & Badasses, my dice, the grid map, my figures…"

Brick looked the bag over.

"I'm surprised it isn't bigger."

Tina sniffed. "I did have to have a long conversation with some of the ladies about maintaining a vigil here."

"Note to self," Handsome Jack muttered under his breath softly, "send in the explosives team later."

"I somehow don't think the crew of your transport is going to want you to bring your friends aboard, Tina," Nadie warned gently. Brick grinned and patted his companion on her beret affectionately.

"Oh, they'll let her, no worries. I'll make sure of that."

Handsome Jack pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.

"Would you people please get off my planet? Go be someone else's problem."

Tina looked at the ship waiting nearby and then up at Brick nervously. He gave her a soothing smile.

"Don't worry. We'll be just fine."

The bombardier clearly gathered herself and she gave a shake as she straightened.

"I know we'll be fine! Your big sis is here to keep you safe, after all! Although," she added slyly, glancing over at Lawson, "I'm sure we'd be a lot safer with a Stetson…"

"You ain't getting my hat," Lawson rumbled.

"Aww! Please?" Tina pouted.

"Only one girl's getting my hat, and it isn't until I'm six feet under."

"I dunno about that," Nadie grumbled, looking over at him. "I'm pretty sure you're going to be buried in it."

Lawson gave his daughter a look, but if he was going to say anything, it was cut off by a cheery call of, "Wait! Wait!" Alexander scampered up holding a large package, Claptrap in close tow carrying an identical box over his head.

"I brought lunch and cookies!" the gun designer puffed out, gasping for breath. "Figured you could use a care package for the trip."

Handsome Jack turned slowly to bore holes in the back of Alexander's head. The blonde haired sniper flinched and looked up at him.

"What?" he protested weakly. "It's the only chance they're going to have to taste my cooking."

Hyperion's president simply shook his head in disappointment and returned his attention to the duo preparing to leave, frowning irritably. Alexander pouted and tugged at Nadie's sleeve.

"Nadie… Nadie, help me out here. I have to cook, it's what I do."

"Don't look for help from me, mister. I'm still ticked at you for ditching us at the arena," the Siren grumbled.

"Aw, Nadie! Don't be mad! I had to call Gerty!"

"It could have waited until everything was over!"

"Naaadie!"

The green haired woman crossed her arms over her chest and her lips thinned in annoyance, facing Brick and Tina once more, though she wasn't really looking at them. Alexander studied both Siren and masked man and then sighed forlornly.

"Well, Claptrap," he observed, addressing the bot beside him, "looks like we're alone on this one."

"But at least we're alone together!" Claptrap replied brightly. Alexander grinned.

"Right you are! Gift packages!" He handed one of the boxes over to Tina who sniffed it and then grinned brightly.

"This smells amazing!"

Alexander patted her on the head affectionately and then turned to give the other package to Brick.

"Well, you brought it all this way, I'd hate to disappoint you," Brick said easily, taking the carefully wrapped box. His stomach rumbled in anticipation. Alexander bounced on his heels happily and looked like he was about to give the big Vault Hunter a hug, but caught himself at the last minute.

"Oh, ah, I hope you like it!"

Handsome Jack leaned over to Nadie so his words caught her ears only.

"I can see why he was about to make that mistake. That man does look a lot like his wife…"

A burst of giggles surprised her, but she stifled them quickly.

"Knock it off," she instructed softly, laughter making her voice warm.

"I'm just saying… Brick is only _slightly_ smaller than Gerty…"

Nadie tapped his shoulder gently, sticking her tongue out at him for a brief moment. He shot her a smirk which quickly faded when his Echo gave off an abrupt trill. With a deep sigh, he tapped it to initiate the call.

"Your timing, as always, is impeccable," he grumbled as he turned to step far enough away that they couldn't overhear the conversation. "You're interrupting an event I have waited years for…"

Nadie watched him walk away and then looked back to the two.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," she said gently. Brick and Tina exchanged glances and then the Vault Hunter crossed his arms over his chest.

"This is definitely not how I expected this to end," he grumbled. "It's not the happily ever after I would have liked."

"No kidding!" Tiny Tina agreed. "The evil sorcerer gets to keep ruling over his kingdom with his dragon pet? Man, our storyteller is a jerk!"

The green haired Siren gave them a halfhearted smile.

"Sorry, guys, I guess someone in the party rolled too many 1s."

Tina yelped and pointed at her, mouth agape.

"Do you _play_ —"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," one of the shuttle crew members said from the platform suddenly, "but we need to get going."

"All right, time to go," Brick ordered, starting to push the young woman toward the shuttle.

"But Brick!" Tina protested. "We might be able to do a redemption story! We can turn the dark healer to our cause!"

"Can't do it," Brick replied, still scooting her along. "We don't have enough cinematic time to achieve that."

"Goodbye, Tina!" Nadie laughed, waving cheerily at her. The Vault Hunter got the bombardier up to the platform and ushered her in to the shuttle, but he paused and looked back at her.

"Hey, Nadie?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever it is you're doing…" His gaze went passed her to the masked man who was tapping his foot irritably. "You keep doing it," he finished.

Nadie's brows crooked together and she followed his gaze. When she turned back, the big man had already vanished into the shuttle.

"What was that about?" she questioned.

"I'unno," Alexander replied.

"Aww, man," Handsome Jack grumbled as he returned to them. "I totally missed watching them leave, didn't I?"

"I'm afraid so," the Siren informed him seriously. His nose crinkled in annoyance.

"They _did_ get on, right?"

"Yes, they did!" Alexander assured him sunnily.

"I wasn't asking _you_ , Squeaky," Handsome Jack stated pointedly. He looked at the Siren, who smiled.

"Yes, they did leave."

"Damnit. I wanted to watch."

"It's ok," Claptrap said lightly. "I'm still here for you!"

Without so much as acknowledging the claptrap, Handsome Jack turned to Nadie.

"Sweet cheeks, let's go home."

"I don't think I've ever heard a better idea," she told him with a laugh.

/

/

"Welcome back, sir," Mister Blake greeted easily as the president and Siren returned to the main building in Opportunity.

"Good to see you, Jimmy," Handsome Jack replied, sweeping passed the man in his pinstripe suit and heading for his office.

"You'll be glad to know we already have the construction teams out repairing the city," Mister Blake began, falling into pace behind his superior and next to Nadie. "Luckily, most of the damage was cosmetic, so it shouldn't be long before the city is habitable once more."

"Let's talk about installing some weaponry for any other sieges like this one," Hyperion's president ordered, "but later. I want to see how much of a mess my office is."

"Very good, sir," Mister Blake responded and veered away from the pair as they arrived at the doors to the president's office. Handsome Jack tapped the control panel and smiled in pleasure when the door slid aside smoothly. Without hesitation, he strode across the room toward the high backed chair that sat before a series of huge windows.

"It's good to be home," he sighed as he settled down into it behind his desk. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back, but it only gave him ample view of the damage the room had suffered. A frown curled his lips and he straightened with a sigh.

"Even if we have to do a little renovation."

"That's ok," Nadie chuckled and crossed the distance to settle down in his lap, straddling his thighs. "I don't mind getting a little hot and sweaty with you."

He grinned and his hands curled around her hips.

"Mm, I'm so glad to hear that, babe." He sat up and she leaned down to meet him halfway, kissing him slowly. His hands slipped up her back and rested against her skin, the warmth seeping into her pleasantly.

"Might make our relationship a tad awkward if you didn't enjoy it."

She grinned. "A bit, yes. But luckily for you, I'm a hands-on sort of girl."

"Well, seeing as you're part bullymong, I'm not surprised," he teased, smiling wickedly. She rolled her eyes.

"My father is not a bullymong."

"How does he keep his second set of arms hidden under that jacket? I'm impressed!"

"Jack…" she said warningly, trying to fight off a smirk.

"Oh, all right, he's not a pure blood. There's no way you could have come out as beautiful as you did if you were a half-breed."

She sighed in mock exasperation.

"My dad is not a bullymong or part bullymong, nor am I bullymong blooded."

"You gotta admit, you are an animal in the bedroom."

"All right, that's enough!" she laughed. "I'm no more a bullymong than you are a psycho."

"I am not a psycho," he agreed easily.

"See?"

"But you're still bullymong blooded."

"Jack!" She pushed at his chest while he chortled delightedly. A crooked smile took her lips as she watched him enjoy heckling her.

"I don't know why I love you," she said dryly, shaking her head.

"Because I'm awesome," he replied immediately.

"Yes, I suppose that's a good start." She leaned down and placed her forehead against his, the tip of her nose tapping his. He raised one hand and brushed it across her hair slowly.

"So, we've been through our first harrowing battle to maintain control of this planet. Is that enough to make you run?" he asked softly.

"Are you kidding?" she retorted. "I have to make up for forgetting our six month anniversary when we hit our first year. Otherwise, I'll never live it down!"

They shared a smile and then the humor faded out of her voice.

"I'm not running. I'm never going to run. I promise."

"Good. I didn't want to chase you down the hall," he responded. She let out a quiet laugh, hearing him echo words he had said to her once before.

"I wouldn't want to make you do any extra work," the Siren assured him, a hint of teasing sarcasm in her tone.

"Of course not," he agreed. "That's why I have you to do it for me, after all."

A warm silence fell between them for a few moments as they simply enjoyed the presence of the other, and then she felt him stiffen beneath her. She leaned back to get a better look at him, a concerned expression on her face. He met her gaze for a few heartbeats, clearly debating something, and then he finally let out a breath between his teeth. Before she could ask what was wrong, he released his grip on her and reached up to his face. She watched as he brushed his fingers across the latches that held his mask in place, and then, incredibly slowly, he pulled it away from his skin. The Siren fought to keep her face from betraying the wave of empathic agony that raced through her when she saw the scarring twisting his features. A sweeping arc like an upside down V cut across his skin, slicing over one side of his mouth and up over the bridge of his nose to curve back down over his left eye, completely obliterating it. Her gaze swept across his face, taking in the damage while he studied her guardedly, waiting for her reaction. For a moment, she struggled with herself in deciding how to respond—what could she ask without destroying the offer of trust this represented, what could she possibly say that didn't seem pitying.

Finally, she simply leaned down and kissed him very gently. She felt him start, clearly not expecting that as her first response, and when she pulled away, he bore a suspicious expression. She smiled slightly at his skepticism.

"I have never minded kissing the mask," she explained, "but I've been dying to kiss the man." The Siren reached up and brushed her fingers lightly across his left cheek.

"It does seem I have a thing for men missing their left eye."

He frowned and then made a sound of understanding.

"Oh yeah, your father's is also messed up," he realized. She nodded wordlessly and brought her other hand up so she could cup his cheeks. He curled his fingers over hers, stuck somewhere between pulling her palms away from his face and tugging her closer for reassurance.

"You sure you aren't going to run?" he asked again, voice soft. She bent down and kissed him once more, lingering over his lips, brushing her own across the scarring.

"Never ever," she said, the sincerity an unspoken oath. He tangled one of his hands in her hair and tugged her back down, and as his tongue brushed across her lips, he allowed her to take the mask from him and set it behind her on the desk.

It was soon forgotten.


	26. Epilogue

"…And that's the story of how Handsome Jack, the Hero of Pandora, won the day, established his rule, and met the love of his life," the young boy finished. There was a long moment of silence and then a deep groan of disgust sounded.

"That was a _terrible_ story," Marcus Kincaid all but growled. The orphan boy across the way from him blinked in surprise.

"What's wrong, Mr. Marcus? It was just a story!"

"A story about the worst villain to ever grace Pandora winning!" the munitions merchant retorted.

"You were the one who suggested we have a storytelling contest," the boy pointed out, pouting. "I wanted to do something original."

"You want to tell a story out of someone else's perspective fine, pick Tiny Tina or Tanis or someone," Marcus grumbled. "But Handsome Jack?! I can't believe you made me listen to this drivel for so long, you dirty little orphan."

The boy looked affronted.

"I took a shower last night, Mr. Marcus!" he protested.

"Not the kind of dirty I'm talking about," Marcus replied. "You've been hanging round Moxxi's too much. And _speaking_ of Moxxi, what the heck is this with making her the villain of this story?"

"To be fair, Mr. Marcus," a girl pipped up from nearby, "it _is_ within her character…"

"That's my ex-wife you're talking about," the big man grumbled. "Neither of you are getting fed for a week. I knew this whole thing was a bad idea…"

"So, you don't want to hear more, then?" the boy asked timidly. "I still have ideas…"

"No. Absolutely not. I can't believe I sat through it as long as I did. I kept hoping you were going to kill him off."

"I'd like to hear more," the girl informed them. Marcus pointed at her sternly.

"Don't go encouraging him…"

/

/

/

/

Fin.

/

/

/

Author's Notes/Afterward/Thoughts:

Holy goodness, this has been a long run... Approximately 106,000 words. This thing is as long as most sci-fi/fantasy novels... Good heavens.

For those of you who've been through this whole run from beginning or near, THANK YOU!

For those of you who found this sometime midway or maybe even now that it's done, thank you so much! I realize that there's a lot of writing out there, and your time is precious. The fact you have chosen to share it with me, to indulge my desire to tell a story, and to obviously have enjoyed it enough to make it here, means the world to me. You readers, all of you, are the reason I keep writing. As much as I love to write, without an audience to appreciate it, a story has no life.

A quick thank you to those friends who were stuck listening to me re-read this thing aloud to try and catch as many errors as I could (and yes, I know there are still more hiding in there, I seem to find them every time I re-read this thing).

And a deep, heartfelt thank you to my personal CL4P-TP unit, who was my arrogant, hilarious asshole when I was running dry on inspiration or snarkiness.

/

Future stuffs:

I'm a sucker. I have far more planned, and there are a lot of people and open ended set ups I left in this story for another one. I love these characters and I love the world, so I know I'm going right back to writing the moment I post this.

However, I think I'm going to take about five to six months off or so; that way, I can get a lot written ahead of time and my updates can be reliable. I definitely found that once I caught up to where I was writing, I struggled to keep posts on anything resembling a decent schedule. So I'm going to take some time and get some stuff written. We'll see how that goes.

So once again, thank you, all of you, for enjoying this story with me.

I'll see you no later than August 1. And maybe before that, inspiration and muse-willing. :)


	27. Sequel Available!

Author's Note:

Hey, guys, just a heads up for those of you who have this story followed... I started posting the second story last month! I'll have the third chapter for it listed shortly after this update.

(For some reason, won't let me put a URL link in here directly to it, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to rely on you to go to my profile and click the link titled "Borderlands: Heart of Pandora.")

Please take a peek and I hope you enjoy the continuing story!

With love,

DragonSeer


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